


Cohabitation

by whiplashangel (lotusk), whiplashangel127



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Anal Sex, Barebacking, Chapter one can be read as a stand-alone, Domestic Fluff, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff and Smut, Forbidden Love, Frottage, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Pack Politics, Pining, Romance, Roommates, Self-Lubrication, Sexual Tension, Side WinIl, Strangers to Lovers, Wolf Pack, Wolves, enemies to lovers but not exactly?, side yujae
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-09-28 13:48:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 26,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17184149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lotusk/pseuds/whiplashangel, https://archiveofourown.org/users/whiplashangel127/pseuds/whiplashangel127
Summary: Wolf/abo!AU. Youngho needs a new roommate by Saturday. Taeyong needs a new home by Saturday. Sounds like destiny, right? Well, except for the “our packs are sworn enemies so we can’t ever date” part.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> Hi everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! So writing this fic was a lot of firsts for me. It was my first time writing an NCT fic, my first time writing johnyong and my first time writing a wolf/abo fic, so I’m super hella nervous! But I worked really hard on this and I hope that was enough. 
> 
> To my secret santa recipient: Hi! You had such wonderful prompts that I kinda wanted to write them all! But at the end of the day, this was the one that called out to me the most. Anyway, I had a lot of fun writing it and I really hope you like your johnyong Xmas gift!
> 
> To the friends who encouraged me and sprinted with me, you guys are the literal best! An extra big thank you goes out to A, who motivated and nagged me and listened to me whine and basically convinced me I could get this done. A, I could not possibly have finished this fic without you and ily! Also, love and kisses to johnyong for all the precious rl roommate inspiration. I love you both so much uwu

  
  


“So, I think I found you a roommate,” Taeil practically shouts into the phone over all the background noise. Youngho can just make out the whine of traditional Chinese instruments. Taeil must be at the dance studio where his boyfriend Sicheng works as an instructor.

“I’m assuming you’ve done some basic screening? Like, please tell me he’s not a serial killer and that he doesn’t have the hygiene habits and manners of a frat boy.”

“Pretty damned sure he’s not a serial killer—at least I don’t think so. He doesn’t smell bad and his fingernails look clean so I reckon he should pass basic hygiene standards. I don’t know him well but he seems friendly enough?” Taeil’s speaking in a fake cheerful voice that’s making him nervous.

“That’s not super reassuring but okay,” Youngho says warily.

“You guys will get along great, I promise!”

“I haven’t said yes, hyung. So what’s his name? I should google him to see if he has a criminal record.”

“He doesn’t have one, oh my God? I wouldn’t ask you to take on some psycho as your new roomie. Come on, Youngho. You know you’re my best friend and that I would do everything in my power to ensure that you’re still breathing at New Year’s so you can drive us all to the club.”

“Wow hyung, don’t go making me all emotional now,” Youngho says sarcastically. “You still haven’t told me his name, though.”

“Lee Taeyong. He’s been Jaehyun’s roomie for almost a year and Jaehyun is definitely still walking around with all his limbs intact. I reckon you should be safe with this dude.”

“I haven’t said I’ll take him on,” Youngho grumbles. _Lee Taeyong_ , Youngho repeats his name in his head. Why does the guy’s name sound so familiar? He’s sure he’s heard it somewhere before, he just can’t figure out where. He’s known Jaehyun since their college days but they usually met up at someplace that wasn’t their own apartments and for whatever reason, Jaehyun had never brought his roommate along for their meet ups. Maybe Lee Taeyong is a recluse with personality issues. Either way, Youngho doesn’t have a good feeling about this. He doesn’t have a good feeling about this at all.

“So? How about it, Youngho? A new roommate who can move in this Saturday and start helping you to pay the rent right away. It’s perfect timing!”

“I’ve never even seen or met the guy,” Youngho protests even though he’s pretty much decided that he will say yes to Taeil because he’s going to need the other guy’s portion of the rental to keep the apartment, fuck his life. He could always move to a smaller, more affordable one and live on his own but he’s lived in this one for three years and it’s comfortable and near work and he wants to keep on living here, goddamnit. He wouldn’t even be in this roommate-wanted situation if Taeil hadn’t decided to move out. He’s going to miss rooming with Taeil but he can’t honestly be mad at the guy for wanting to get a place with his boyfriend. Sicheng is a nice dude—quiet, easygoing and doesn’t seem to have a whole lot of opinions on anything until he refuses to budge on something. He definitely keeps Taeil on his toes. But then again, Taeil is so completely whipped he probably relishes the challenge.     

    “It’s perfect timing, c’mon. I’m moving out this weekend and Taeyong’s lease runs out this Sunday. Even you have to admit this is almost like destiny.”

“Destiny, my ass. Why isn’t Jaehyun rooming with him anymore, huh? Maybe Lee Taeyong is like the world’s fucking worst roommate.”

“He’s not! Jaehyun is just moving in with Yuta. You know they’ve been dating for a few months now and the lease expiring this weekend just happens to be the best time for Jaehyun to move. Taeyong’s been trying to find a new place to stay for weeks now but no one seems to be looking for a roommate at the moment. I only bumped into Jaehyun like half an hour ago. You know Sicheng and him are tight so he drops by the studio sometimes. I haven’t seen him in a while and the first thing he said to me was _hyung, you know anyone who needs a roommate like RIGHT NOW?_ It was like destiny, man,” Taeil announces dramatically.

There’s a sudden rustling noise and then Jaehyun’s warm, deep voice comes over the line. “Hyung! Please say yes to Taeyong so the poor guy doesn’t have to be homeless this weekend.”

“He’s going to be homeless?” Youngho says, stomach sinking. He already knows he’s gonna cave even if he won’t give his friends the satisfaction of conceding just yet.

“Well, I was the one who left him in the lurch so of course we’d let him crash at our place. It’s just that Yuta’s got a studio apartment and things could get awkward if—” To Youngho’s relief, Jaehyun leaves his sentence trailing. God knows Youngho does not need to hear about Yuta and Jaehyun doing the frick-frack while a hapless Lee Taeyong tries to sleep through it all.

“I have a studio apartment too, just so you know,” Youngho points out.

“Oh,” Jaehyun says, sounding a little deflated. “Did you suddenly start dating today?”

“What the hell, Jaehyun?”

“Well, Taeil hyung says you’re not seeing anyone at the moment and you’re not exactly a one-night stand kinda guy. So it’s not like you’ll be bringing anyone home anytime soon, right?”

“Taeil hyung talks too much. And who says I’m not a one-night stand kinda guy? I could totally be that guy.”

“Hyung, pleeeeease,” Jaehyun snorts in disbelief.

Youngho sighs in defeat. “You know I hate you, right?”

“So he can move in? I can tell Taeyong that he has a place to stay? Thank you, hyung!” Jaehyun sounds elated and Youngho’s always sucked at saying no to people in desperate situations.

“I didn’t say he could move in! I need to at least meet the guy first. Come on. It’s not like I’m buying a secondhand couch from him. We’re gonna be sharing space in a pretty intense kinda way? I’m not saying yes till I’ve at least met the guy and I don’t know, checked him out some.”

“Check him out for what? Head lice? He doesn’t have any! And he’s like…super neat and clean. He’s a little quiet but not in a creepy way. And he’s a great cook. Taeyong is the perfect roommate, hyung, I swear! It’s completely my fault he’s going to be sleeping on Yuta’s couch this Saturday if you don’t say yes so please say yes?”  

“Wow, Jaehyunnie. I really, really hate you,” Youngho says and Jaehyun makes an indiscreet whoop before telling him he’s the best hyung ever and that he’ll text him whatever info he needs later.

And just like that, Youngho finds himself in possession of a new roommate. He ends the call before resting his palm against his forehead and letting out a groan. Just two more days before a total stranger invades his personal space. He can only hope his wolf doesn’t take an instant dislike to his new roommate. He had months to get used to Taeil before they actually roomed together and his wolf had decided he liked his human friend for quite a long while before Taeil actually moved in. This time, they only have two days to prepare themselves for a human neither of them actually knows. What is he even getting himself into? Youngho flops onto his mattress and lets out another groan. _I swear to God you’d better not be the roommate from hell, Lee Taeyong_.

  
  
  
  


Youngho’s lying on the couch, just resting for a bit after helping Taeil and Sicheng move a dozen boxes of Taeil’s worldly possessions into the aquamarine VW Bus they’d borrowed from their friend Jungwoo. They’d left for their new apartment fifteen minutes ago and the apartment is quiet now. Too quiet. His wolf likes it but that’s no surprise—Youngho has always been more sociable than his wolf.

His phone buzzes in his hand and he squints at his screen. It’s a text from Jaehyun: _be there soon, hyung_. He really should peel himself off the couch and wash his face or something before meeting his new roommate. Like make a good first impression or something. But the couch is so comfortable and he doesn’t feel like getting up any time soon. Sighing, he types a two-word reply to Jaehyun’s text. Out of habit, he scrolls further up their KakaoTalk conversation and sees the grainy photo Jaehyun had sent him two nights ago of Lee Taeyong and himself. They’re both wearing black in the photo but Jaehyun has a gray beanie on while Taeyong has the hood of his sweatshirt up and you can just see a glimpse of straight, dark brown hair if you squint. Jaehyun’s smile is typical Jaehyun-warm while the other man’s smile is, for lack of a better word, reserved. They’re both pretty but in very different ways: Jaehyun’s boy next door good looks are approachable while Taeyong’s physical perfection seems a lot more distant, a lot more remote. Youngho feels it again, that sense of apprehension that he shouldn’t have agreed to let Lee Taeyong move in without even meeting the guy first. It’s against all his instincts and only Jung Jaehyun could have talked him into this kind of wanton stupidity.

As he lies there wrestling with his doubts, someone raps loudly on the door. “Hyung! It’s me, Jaehyunnie!” Taking a deep breath, Youngho sits up and swings his legs off of the couch. _I guess it’s time to meet my so-called destiny, Taeil hyung_ , Youngho thinks warily as he gets into standing position and starts walking towards the front door.

“Hyung, thanks again for this! You’re the best,” Jaehyun says animatedly from behind a box labeled **ART SUPPLIES** in bold, black marker.

“Hey Jaehyun. Come inside,” Youngho says, trying to sound as casual as he can. He’s dead curious to see the owner of the box cradled in Jaehyun’s arms but he wants to look nonchalant so he doesn’t ask where Lee Taeyong is. “Can I just dump this box here for now? Taeyong’s waiting by the lift with the rest of the boxes. We’ll need your help with the stuff, hyung. There’s one large suitcase and ten boxes of shit and a bookshelf,” he informs Youngho.

“Jesus, that sounds like a lot of shit, Jaehyun. Is my tiny apartment about to get overrun with stuff that doesn’t belong to me?” Youngho can’t quite keep the mild note of panic out of his voice.

“Taeyong is very…neat and well, compact. Like he can make it so his stuff doesn’t take up a whole lot of space. You’ll see.”

So far all Youngho knows about Taeyong is that the boy is pretty, he’s quiet, neat, clean, cooks _and_ he can magically shrink stuff so they take up less space. Youngho feels his stress levels rise as he comes to the realization that such a perfect, mythical creature can’t possibly exist and Jaehyun is the world’s biggest fucking liar. He glares daggers at his younger friend’s back as he follows him around the corner. The lift comes into view and there’s a figure crouched beside two precisely stacked towers of boxes. Youngho stops short in the corridor as his wolf begins to pace restlessly inside of him.

_Wolf._

Of all the things Jaehyun hadn’t mentioned. Jesus fuck. Lee Taeyong is a fucking _wolf_. Youngho has just gone from apprehensive to straight up freaked out. The man straightens and turns to face them and Youngho sees it—the moment his expression switches from wary to slightly panicked as he realizes all of a sudden that his new roommate is a wolf like himself. His scent is faint but unmistakable. He must be on suppressants. That’s the most logical explanation for why Youngho’s never once noticed traces of Taeyong’s scent on Jaehyun despite their rooming for a year.   

“You’re—” Taeyong says abruptly.

“A wolf, yes,” Youngho says, hoping he sounds calmer than he actually feels. His wolf is pacing but he’s not growling or showing any signs of hostility. At least he doesn’t seem to have taken an instant dislike to his new roommate’s wolf.

“Jaehyun didn’t say anything about you being a wolf,” Lee Taeyong says in a cold voice, a voice that reeks of I-don’t-think-this-is-going-to-work-out-thank-you-for-your-time-but-I’m-going-to-leave-now. That voice an interviewer uses when he’s about to tell you that you didn’t get the job. Youngho should be filled with relief that Taeyong is about to announce that they can’t be roommates but instead, all he feels is a sense of disappointment. His wolf is curious. He wants to get to know Taeyong’s wolf but that’s clearly not going to happen if Taeyong leaves.

“Oh crap. I forgot to mention that. I mean you’re both wolves and I didn’t think that would be a problem. Is it a problem?” Jaehyun looks nervously from Taeyong to Youngho and back to Taeyong again, his expression growing increasingly sheepish and apologetic. Of course, Jaehyun is human and has only the vaguest notion of the customs of wolves and their territorial tendencies. Youngho shouldn’t have assumed that Jaehyun would know that a wolf didn’t just enter another wolf’s territory unannounced, even when the wolf in question is a laid-back beta like Youngho and the newcomer is an omega—something Youngho’s senses had picked up on instantly but which his brain hasn’t had a chance to process till now.  

“You should have told me,” Taeyong says, biting his bottom lip unhappily. His shoulders are rigid with tension and Youngho can smell the adrenaline in the air between them. His wolf should be frantic but instead, he’s just prowling…quietly. Interesting.

“I wasn’t thinking. Man, I’m sorry,” Jaehyun says, his eyes and voice full of remorse. “I mean, if this isn’t going to work then you can just crash at Yuta’s. We can move the stuff back into the car now. It’s cool.”

Taeyong doesn’t say anything right away and he suddenly looks really small and frustrated and helpless and the instinctive need to make him safe starts rushing through Youngho. It’s not something Youngho wants but it’s not something he can help either. Why is he even feeling this way about someone he had legit never met till just a few minutes ago.

“You don’t have to do that—” Youngho says and Taeyong and Jaehyun both stare at him in surprise. “I mean, if you’re okay with giving this arrangement a shot, you can just move in, Taeyong. You can find somewhere else if my place doesn’t work for you but meantime, you’ll have somewhere to stay and I can get some help with the rent until I find another roommate. I mean, if you decide you wanna move someplace else. If not, well, you’re welcome to stay,” Youngho ends awkwardly.

Taeyong looks torn and Youngho and Jaehyun wait silently as he works shit out in his head. Finally, after a minute or two, he nods his head.

“I guess I can move in for now,” Taeyong agrees, looking a lot like he’s just been handed a life sentence. Youngho doesn’t know whether to laugh or feel offended that his new roommate is so reluctant to share an apartment with him. Not that he’s got the right to complain when he’s spent the last two days being just as negative about the whole idea of Taeyong moving in.

“Cool! Let’s start moving this shit in then,” Jaehyun yells in a mixture of relief and excitement.  His forced enthusiasm breaks up the tension and galvanises them into moving the boxes, with Taeyong and Youngho carrying twice the number of boxes as Jaehyun with almost no effort at all. If Jaehyun notices the fact that they’re moving double the number of boxes as him, he makes no mention of it—happy to let them do most of the carrying.

Half an hour later, Taeyong’s worldly possessions are stacked in the small corner of the living room where the study desks are. Youngho and Taeil had set up the study area when they’d moved into this apartment two years back and it had served them well in their college days. When they’d started work, they’d just left the desks where they were due to sheer inertia. In the end, they’d just left them there because it was actually useful to have their old desks around—especially on days when they had to bring work home from the office.

Taeil’s new apartment is fully furnished so he’d asked if he could leave his desk here. “Maybe I’ll come back for it one day if Sicheng and me ever move to a place that isn’t furnished,” Taeil had joked. Youngho had rolled his eyes at his lame attempt at humor but in the end, he had agreed, reluctantly, to let Taeil leave his desk behind in his small apartment. It’s a good thing Taeil hadn’t taken it with him since Taeyong had arrived with no furniture aside from a white, IKEA Billy bookshelf that Jaehyun had just helped him reassemble. It now stands beside Taeil’s old pine desk. The shelves are still empty and Youngho wonders what Taeyong will fill the blank spaces with.

He glances at the box Jaehyun had brought in first, the one labeled **ART SUPPLIES**. According to Jaehyun, Taeyong is a graphic designer for “some firm I don’t really know what they do but you can ask him yourself? Jaehyun seems unbelievably clueless about the kind of work Taeyong does considering they were roommates for a year. Is that because Taeyong is the really secretive type? Youngho’s gut clenches at the prospect. Taeil is affable and open and those are traits that appeal to Youngho. With Taeil, what you see is what you get and that had made him easy to live with. His wolf likes Taeil a lot too—almost as much as Youngho himself likes Taeil. And that doesn’t always happen with people Youngho likes. And Lee Taeyong…well, he’s got Youngho tied up in knots for now. Youngho usually has a gift for reading people but he can’t read Lee Taeyong at all. He’s kind of mad at himself for agreeing to take Taeyong in without thinking things through.

“Youngho hyung, thanks again for doing this,” Jaehyun says, smiling as he brushes his hair out of his eyes. “I borrowed Yuta’s car to move all Taeyong hyung’s stuff here and his shift ends in twenty minutes so I gotta go now,” he says just before he steps forward to envelop Taeyong in a bear hug. Taeyong returns the hug, giving Jaehyun a few gentle pats on the back. They exchange a few quiet words and from what Youngho can see, the former roommates seem to have genuine affection for each other.

“You guys will be okay, right?” Jaehyun asks nervously.

“Will we?” Youngho raises an eyebrow as he stares at Taeyong.

“ _I_ will be anyway.” There’s a flash of defiance in Taeyong’s eyes and his words smell of challenge. Youngho can’t help smiling. It seems his roommate is a lot more interesting than he’d given him credit for.

“We’ll be fine, Jaehyunnie,” Youngho assures the younger man as he walks him to the front door. It’s a short distance and they’re in the open doorway in seconds.

“I owe you guys dinner for everything! Like thanks for agreeing to this—both of you!” Jaehyun blows them an extremely relieved, extremely effusive, double-handed flying kiss as he walks backwards out the front door.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be sure to collect,” Youngho says as he squeezes Jaehyun’s shoulder. There’s a warm rush of emotion from his wolf who has almost as much affection for Jung Jaehyun as he does for Moon Taeil.

“See you, hyung,” Jaehyun grins as he gives Youngho a quick hug before yelling over his shoulder, “good luck with the unpacking, Taeyong hyung! I’m sure you guys will get along great! I’ll see you soon!” Then he turns the corner and he’s gone. Just like that, Youngho is left all alone with his new and distinctly unapproachable roommate. He shuts the door and takes a long exhale before turning around.

“Let me show you where everything is,” Youngho says in as friendly a voice as he can manage. He doesn’t usually struggle with strangers but Taeyong’s cool demeanor is making him feel very much like an insecure schoolboy.

“I’m sure I can figure things out if you’re busy,” Taeyong says in a quiet voice as he slides his boxcutter blade through the black duct tape on one of his boxes.

Youngho shrugs. “I’m sure you’ve noticed that this is a really small apartment so it won’t take much time at all.”

“Will I be sleeping on the couch? I mean is there a pullout sofa bed or something? It’s a studio apartment so I’m guessing I’ll be sleeping in the living area?” Taeyong asks, his boxcutter hovering over the duct tape as he speaks. Youngho had been half expecting Taeyong to be kind of arrogant but he sounds mostly just awkward. _Interesting_.

“That’s where Taeil hyung slept,” Youngho points at the single bed with the bare mattress that lies about two feet away from his own bed. “I kinda assumed you’d just take over his old bed. He um…left some furniture behind because his new place is fully furnished.”

“But we just met and we suddenly have to sleep in the same place and it’s just…I don’t know, kind of overwhelming? I was thinking I’d just sleep out here for now.” The boxcutter is still hovering over the duct tape as Taeyong bites his bottom lip in God even knows what—indecision? Anxiety?

“You can use the sofa if you want. No pressure,” Youngho says, voice gentle.

Taeyong places the boxcutter on top of the box before he finally makes eye contact with Youngho. His gaze is intense as he begins to explain in a serious and earnest tone, “It’s not that I’m trying to be difficult. And I swear I’m not trying to be an asshole. I know you’re doing me a really big favor by letting me stay here. I mean you don’t even know me and yet you offered me a place to stay. I’m really grateful, Youngho, but I’m think that maybe we need time to get used to each other before I take over Taeil hyung’s old bed. I think that your wolf would prefer it too, if we stayed out of his space for now.” Youngho senses no subterfuge in his words and his wolf seems to be on the same page as him because all he does is sit quietly and Wait.

“There’s a pull-out sofa bed we can set up when you’re done packing,” Youngho says, “but just so you know, my wolf is chill about you being here and you can use Taeil’s bed whenever you’re ready.”

“I—thank you, Youngho,” Taeyong says awkwardly before picking up his boxcutter, his eyes trained on the box.

“When you’re done with that box, I’ll show you where everything is, ok? Then I’ll go out and get us some dinner while you unpack. How’s that sound?”

“That actually sounds pretty good,” Taeyong says, his shoulder muscles relaxing slightly and it’s ridiculous how much Youngho appreciates the tiny gesture of trust.

“Ok. First of all, let me show you where you can put your clothes,” Youngho says in his best tour guide voice and to his relief, Taeyong gets up and follows him to the sleeping area without protesting. It looks like Taeyong is going to be practical about keeping his stuff in the sleeping area even if he won’t actually sleep there. Youngho shows him which sections of the wooden closet and chest of drawers are his while Taeyong listens intently.

Next, Youngho shows him the toilet and the bathroom and where he can put his toiletries. Taeyong nods and lets Youngho explain where everything is without asking any questions. When they reach the small kitchen, Youngho gives him a quick run-through of how to operate the stove and microwave oven. “Taeil hyung and I shared out the basic groceries but we also bought our own food and drink sometimes. We can carry on with that system unless you want to do things differently. Let’s discuss house rules over dinner. What do you think?”

“How about cleaning the apartment?” Taeyong asks, looking slightly agitated.

“I was thinking we could talk about that over dinner?” Youngho watches his new roommate curiously. Why is he so anxious about this?

“I just—I can’t really handle dust or mess and I don’t mind doing all the cleaning if you don’t have time to do it,” Taeyong says, his eyes focused on some spot on the ground. Youngho isn’t quite sure how to respond to Taeyong’s statement so he skirts around it instead.

“I—Taeil and I had a roster we followed. Most of the time anyway. Would that work for you?”

“I guess. But I don’t mind doing all the cleaning since it’s such a small apartment. Like, you don’t even have to do any of it.”

“But why? I don’t expect you to. You’ll be paying rent just like me so we should share out the work too.”

“I just…like to clean,” Taeyong says quietly and something tells Youngho that he’d meant to say _I just need to_ rather than _I just like to_. There’s a story here somewhere but Youngho reckons Taeyong has had enough stress for one day. He’ll leave the questions for another day.

“All right. You can do as much cleaning as you want and I’ll do the rest,” Youngho says reassuringly and Taeyong looks visibly less stressed.

“Thank you, Youngho.”  

Youngho slides his hands into his pockets. “So what do you feel like eating? There are lots of food joints nearby.”

“I’ll just have whatever you’re having,” Taeyong says, his attention already wandering to the tower of boxes behind Youngho.

“But isn’t there anything you don’t eat? Any food allergies? I mean I don’t wanna buy you something that you can’t eat or that might make you sick.”

“I don’t have any allergies and I eat for the calories—because I need the energy. No other reason. Like there isn’t any food I really like or dislike if that makes any sense?”

Youngho laughs, “I like food so no, that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, Taeyong. Anyway, I feel like having _bibimbap_. Are you okay with that?”

“Yes, yes, _bibimbap_ is fine. Honestly, I’m fine with anything,” Taeyong says and he can’t quite keep the impatience out of his tone. He’s obviously dying to unpack his things, Youngho thinks with a smile and he leaves his new roommate to it. As he’s walking out the front door, he suddenly remembers what Jaehyun had said about Taeyong being a great cook. The man doesn’t even like eating. How can he be a good cook if he doesn’t even like to eat?

  
  
  
  
  
  


Youngho stirs the contents of his _bibimbap_ carefully before looking across the table at Taeyong. The other man is picking out spoonfuls of _bibimbap_ without mixing the separate ingredients together and Youngho stores the little snippet of information in his mental folder marked _Factoids about Lee Taeyong_. Then he inhales before saying,  “It doesn’t really matter to me at all but I reckon we should just get this all over and done with if we’re gonna share an apartment—”

“What?” Taeyong looks up at him with a stunned expression.

“Don’t look at me like that. It’s nothing bad. I just think we should exchange some personal details like phone numbers, you know, in case one of us gets locked out of the apartment without a key, or if you wanna tell me you’re not coming home for the night so I can double latch the door. You know, stuff like that.”

“That makes sense, I guess,” Taeyong agrees and takes another mouthful of rice and _bulgogi_ before picking up his phone. He frowns almost immediately. “I don’t know your full name,” he says a little apologetically.

“Suh Youngho,” Youngho smiles. “Here, give me your phone and I’ll key in my name and number and you can key in your details in my phone.” He hands Taeyong his cell phone and Taeyong finally hands him his phone after a brief hesitation.

“Okay, so that’s numbers done. Which pack are you from? I think that’s important info we should know—in case there’s an emergency and we have to inform family members etcetera. _Not_ that I’m trying to jinx us or anything but I think it’s better we have an emergency contact who isn’t Jung Jaehyun or Moon Taeil. And maybe more importantly, we should have at least one contact from our packs for emergencies humans wouldn’t understand how to deal with.”

“You’re right, I guess,” Taeyong admits but he doesn’t look completely sold on the idea.

“I’m from the Twin Oaks Pack,” Youngho announces without preamble and Taeyong blanches.

“Shit,” he says at last, letting his chopsticks rest on the bowl with a too-loud clack.

Youngho gives a nervous laugh. “Well, that doesn’t sound ominous at all.”

“I’m from Cedar Falls.” Taeyong drags his hand through his hair in frustration. _Shit_ , indeed. Of all the packs Lee Taeyong could have been a member of, why Cedar Falls, fuck his life? Twenty-two packs in the country and Lee Taeyong has to be from the one pack that his pack has bad blood with. Youngho doesn’t give a fuck about pack politics nor does he care that Taeyong is from Cedar Falls, but his new roommate may not be as chill as him about pack rivalries.

“Is it a dealbreaker? My being from Twin Oaks?” Youngho asks, frowning.

“To be honest, I don’t give a shit about pack politics, but if it’s going to be a problem for you, I can pack up and leave tonight.” Taeyong looks tired, so fucking tired and Youngho can’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for this guy who has already lost his home once today and now thinks he’s about to lose his current place of shelter.

“I don’t give a shit either so you should just unpack the rest of your things after we eat,” Youngho says with a shrug.

“My father would be so mad if he ever found out I was living with the enemy,” Taeyong says, his expression grim.

“When you put it like that, I guess you won’t want to stay.” Youngho can’t help feeling disappointed at the prospect of Taeyong moving out when he’s barely even moved in.

“He’ll be mad but he’s not the one who has to try and sleep through Yuta and Jaehyun boning each other so you know, he can just suck it,” Taeyong says defiantly and Youngho chuckles at the unexpected blast of sass. He hadn’t been expecting it but he thinks he’s going to like his new roommate. He’s going to like him just fine.

  
  
  
  
  
  


“I aired my spare blanket yesterday. You know, just in case you need it,” Youngho says as they smooth out the mattress on the sofa bed. He’d come out of his shower to find Taeyong unfolding the legs of the sofa bed and insisted on helping him set things up.

“Thanks, Youngho but I have my quilt and bedding and—” Taeyong’s fingers pinch at the bedsheet repeatedly and Youngho wonders if he’s even aware that he’s doing it.

“Yeah?”

“I just wanted to say thank you. You know, for letting me stay here when you don’t even know me,” Taeyong mumbles, eyes trained awkwardly on the mattress.

“Well, I know Jaehyun and he seems to think you’re the best roommate ever.  That’s good enough for me,” Youngho tries to reassure him, casually leaving out all the doubts he’d had about Taeyong moving in.

“You can be honest, Youngho. You probably thought you were getting a serial killer for a new roommate,” Taeyong says with a self-deprecating laugh and Youngho realizes with a start that it’s the first time he’s heard Taeyong laugh that day, or _ever_ for that matter.

“I’m not saying I didn’t consider that for about 3.5 seconds,” Youngho chuckles. “ _But_ Jaehyun is still in one piece and apparently enjoying a healthy sex life with Nakamoto Yuta after a year of rooming with you so I’m gonna go with the obvious truth that you do not have homicidal tendencies.”

Taeyong gives him an amused thumbs-up. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“Anytime. So…anyway, just let me know if you need anything. Like anything at all, ok?” Youngho’s hands are back in his pockets. He’s not usually this nervous around strangers but there’s just something about Lee Taeyong that makes him just a little less sure of himself.

“Aren’t you going out? Isn’t that what people usually do on Saturday nights?” Taeyong asks unexpectedly.

Youngho chuckles. “I don’t go out _every_ Saturday night. It’s nice to stay in too. Do _you_ go out every Saturday night?”

“I try not to. I don’t like crowds.”

“Is that why Jaehyun has never brought you along on our nights out?”

“Yeah, I guess. When there are too many people in one place and too much noise and light, my wolf doesn’t like it. And it’s not like I’m a fan of too-loud music and flashing lights either so it’s easier to just stay in, you know? Better for my bank account too.”

“You don’t miss the company? Or having drinks?”

“If it’s people I know I’ll make the effort? But I’m really bad with strangers so I try to avoid situations where I have to meet new people. It’s a bad habit, I know.” Taeyong shrugs, looking slightly embarrassed.

“I like meeting new people sometimes but you know, staying in is nice too,” Youngho says and he realizes it’s true. He has been going to bars and clubs less over the past year, especially now that a lot of his friends have paired up while he’s remained single. It’s not that he doesn’t want to be in a relationship? He just hasn’t met anyone he’s willing to commit that much time and emotion to. Plus, he’s not in a hurry to fall into a relationship just because everyone around him seems to be in one. He wonders if Taeyong is single like him or whether there’s someone who comes over when he stays in, someone who takes him out for quiet dates in places free of strobe lights. He wonders if that person is a wolf but he already knows the answer to that question because there’s no scent of wolf on Taeyong at all. And no alpha has marked him in the recent past, that’s for sure. That knowledge pleases Youngho more than it should.

“Sure is,” Taeyong nods before his face goes all shut off again. “I’m gonna take a shower and then I’m going to bed. It’s been a really long day.”

“Yeah. Moving is always exhausting. Anyway, like I said, if you need anything, just holler. Not like there are any walls in this place,” Youngho says, laughing at his own lame joke. Taeyong actually cracks a smile, an unguarded one, and Youngho decides that he’s going to make it his personal mission to make his new roommate smile more.

“I’ll let you know. And thanks again, Youngho.”

“No more thank yous. I need help with the rent so you’re actually doing me a big favor. Ok, I’ll just let you do your thing,” Youngho says with some vague semblance of a goodbye wave.

“If you wanna watch TV or something…?” Taeyong indicates the TV in front of the couch and Youngho tells him it’s cool, there’s nothing on TV right now. There are at least two shows Youngho wants to watch but Taeyong doesn’t need to know that. The guy is clearly ready to pass out and Youngho just wants him to settle in, rest and feel comfortable in his new home.  

Youngho tries not to notice as Taeyong moves around the apartment, gathering his towel and toiletries before vanishing inside the bathroom for twenty minutes. He swears the running water of the tap and the downward spray of the shower have never sounded this loud. Not once in the entire two years Taeil hyung had lived here had Youngho paid any attention to the noises coming from the bathroom. What the hell is even wrong with him?

Youngho’s never felt so aware of how small his apartment is till tonight. He’d never felt this confined when he’d been sharing the space with Taeil hyung. He’s just so much more aware of Taeyong’s presence. He’s aware of Taeyong in a way he’d never been aware of his former roommate. Maybe he’s so unsettled because Taeyong’s a wolf and he’s never had to share space with any wolf who’s not from his pack. That has to be it. Right? Whatever is up with him though, he hopes he can calm the hell down real soon. To his relief, the novel he’s reading manages to distract him. Off and on at least.

He can’t quite drown them out though: the soft, rustling noises of Taeyong tucking and re-tucking in the corners of his pale gray bed sheets, the soft little thuds as Taeyong fluffs up his pillow, the whooshing noises as he spreads out his quilt. Youngho tries to focus on the words on the page but he hears _everything_. In the same way, he can’t help it when the fresh clean scents of Taeyong’s shampoo and of his soap curl themselves around his senses. They smell citrusy…like bergamot. What had Taeil hyung smelt of after a shower? Youngho can’t remember at all.

Finally, he hears the click of the sitting room lamp being switched off. It’s only half past ten but he’s not getting anywhere with his book and maybe he should get some sleep too. It’s a Saturday night. He can’t believe he’s going to attempt to fall asleep at ten fucking thirty on a Saturday night. Sighing, he marks his page and closes the book, placing it quietly on the bedside table he’d shared with Taeil hyung. Thank fuck he’d brushed his teeth before he showered so he won’t have to stumble to the bathroom right now. He turns off his reading lamp and the entire apartment is plunged into darkness.   

As he lies in bed with the lights off, he can hear Taeyong breathing nearby, his wolf senses on high alert. Taeyong’s breaths are the low, steady breaths of someone in deep sleep. He must really be exhausted from a whole day of moving. His snoring is soft and rhythmic and oddly comforting. Youngho had been prepared to be wary of his new roommate but as lies there in the dark, all he feels is intrigued. He picks up his phone and launches his KKT app.

 

**johntography95:**

_hey doyoung, got a minute?_

 

He has to wait about twenty seconds before his packmate comes online. Youngho has plenty of friends in the Twin Oaks pack but there’s no one he’s closer to than Kim Doyoung.

 

 **VroomVroomBoi** **_:_ **

_hyung? whassup?_

 

 **johntography95** **_:_ **

_you still keep up with pack business?_

 

 **VroomVroomBoi** **_:_ **

_sure. what are you after?_

 

 **johntography95** **_:_ **

_are things still messed up with Cedar Falls?_

 

 **VroomVroomBoi** **_:_ **

_dude, i don’t think they’ll ever /not/ be messed up iykwim_

 

 **johntography95** **_:_ **

_damn. i was hoping you wouldn’t say that. heard of lee taeyong?_

 

 **VroomVroomBoi** **_:_ **

_who hasn’t? he’s the pack leader’s son. not an alpha tho. his noona joohyun is the alpha. why are you asking about lee taeyong? did you guys fight or something?_

 

Youngho groans inwardly. So that’s why Taeyong’s name had sounded so familiar. Of course the omega who’s moved into his apartment isn’t just any random wolf from Cedar Falls. No, he has to be the son of the fucking pack leader. Goddamnit. Their living situation has just gotten 300% more complicated.

 

 **johntography95** **_:_ **

_nope. no fight. more like he’s my new roomie._

 

 **VroomVroomBoi** **_:_ **

_he’s your WHAT?!_

 

 **johntography95** **_:_ **

_taeil hyung moved out and i needed a new roomie and he needed one too so here we are_

 

 **VroomVroomBoi** **_:_ **

_hyung, you CAN’T be roomies. If any of the higher ups found out things could get seriously messed up man_

 

 **johntography95** **_:_ **

_i know. but the guy has nowhere to go and i need help with the rent and he doesn’t care that i’m twin oaks pack_

 

 **VroomVroomBoi** **_:_ **

_he might say that now but if things go south and he has to pick a side? I just think this has Bad Idea written all over it. Make him leave, hyung. PLEASE_

 

 **johntography95** **_:_ **

_he just moved in today doyoungie and he seems like an ok guy. I /can’t/_

 

 **VroomVroomBoi** **_:_ **

_ofc you can. You just need to get over yourself. you’ve always been too much of a soft touch. you better hope this doesn’t come back and bite you on the ass. cedar falls wolves are bad news, hyung. yk what your roomie’s dad is capable of. don’t you think it’s dumb af to have his son under your roof? Omfg_

 

 **johntography95** **_:_ **

_i know i’m being reckless but i can’t just kick him out. not now. when he finds someplace else to stay, ok? i’ll do it then. have you heard anything else about lee taeyong? anything i should know about?_

 

 **VroomVroomBoi** _:_

_rumor has it his dad is trying to arrange a marriage between taeyong and chittaphon leechaiyapornkul of lake aspen pack. chittaphon is the leader’s eldest son. an alpha. It’s a neighboring pack so both could expand their territory with just one marriage._

 

 **johntography95** _:_

_how come taeyongs noona isn’t being married off first?_

 

 **VroomVroomBoi** _:_

_she is. she’s marrying choi minho of willow falls next spring. they’re both alphas and choi minho’s dad is pack leader too. your roomie’s dad is all about ambition. and everyone knows he hates our pack like whoa. you and his son being roomies will not go down well with the old man. which brings me back to the point that you need to get rid of lee taeyong like NOW_

 

 **johntography95** _:_

_I guess_

 

 **VroomVroomBoi** **_:_ **

_so you’ll do it?_

 

 **johntography95** **_:_ **

_no lol_

 

 **VroomVroomBoi** **_:_ **

_gdi hyung_

 

 **johntography95** **_:_ **

_when he finds another place i will i swear_

 

 **VroomVroomBoi** **_:_ **

_this shit is totally gonna come back and bite you on the ass, hyung_

 

 **johntography95** **_:_ **

_come on, dude. where’s the positivity?_

 

 **VroomVroomBoi** :

_i’ve said what i said. i can’t help it you’re a complete dumbass_

 

**johntography95:**

_wow. fricking harsh but duly noted_

 

Youngho and Doyoung spend the next few minutes catching up, just chatting about what they’ve been up to since they met up a fortnight ago. Doyoung lives and works in the next city so they don’t get to see as much of each other as they’d like and catching up is always nice. Doyoung continues to make ominous predictions about the fate of Youngho’s ass if he doesn’t evict his roommate ASAP while Youngho expertly deflects each threat with a swift change of topic. When the text conversation finally ends, Youngho places his phone on the nightstand and lies back down on his mattress.

He can still hear Taeyong’s soft sleeping sounds in the background—so different from Taeil hyung’s louder ones and yet they make Youngho feel just as safe. He wonders how Taeyong must have felt today. Moving in with a stranger would have been bad enough but finding out that said stranger is a wolf from an enemy pack? Youngho can’t even imagine how unsettling that must have been for him. He can still remember the defeat in Taeyong’s eyes when he’d realized Youngho was Twin Oaks pack. He’d looked so tired and yet so beautiful. Lee Taeyong has only been his roommate for just over eight hours and Youngho already knows his life is about to undergo a sea change.

Maybe Doyoung is right. Maybe he _should_ kick Taeyong out first thing tomorrow. But then he recalls the desolation in Taeyong’s eyes and he knows he simply can’t do it. It doesn’t help that he wants to learn all there is to know about Lee Taeyong and for reasons he can’t understand himself, Youngho wants to gain his trust. No, he can’t see himself asking Taeyong to leave anytime soon. Doyoung will be on his ass every day to do it but Youngho can be very good at tuning Doyoung out when he puts his mind to it.

Sighing, he hugs his bright yellow Jake plush close to his chest and tries not to notice the rhythmic pattern of Taeyong’s breathing. He can’t, however, stop thinking about how real life Taeyong is so very much more alluring and captivating than the cool and remote Taeyong Youngho had first glimpsed in the grainy selca Jaehyun had KKTed him days ago. Youngho is still haunted by the look on Taeyong’s face when he’d assumed Youngho was going to throw him out of the apartment. Youngho exhales loudly, frustrated at himself for being so obsessed with his new roommate. He needs to get a grip and stop thinking about Lee Taeyong, period. Lulled by Taeyong’s soft snores, Youngho’s eyelids start to feel heavier. The last thing on his mind as he drifts into dreams is the image of the pretty moles just below Taeyong’s bottom lip (not that he’d spent any time at all staring at Taeyong’s pretty pink mouth).  

  
  
  
  
  
  


The sunlight is warm on Taeyong’s cheek as he shakes off the final traces of sleep. He cracks an eyelid and takes in the strange surroundings. It takes him half a second to register that he’s not in the apartment he’d shared with Jaehyun. Then it takes him another two seconds to remember that he’s lying on a sofa in an unfamiliar apartment. He’s no longer on his own bed in the small room he’d called his own for a whole year. He’s never lived in a studio apartment so it’s going to take some getting used to—especially when he’s someone who needs a lot of alone time. There are no walls in this place and he’s never shared a room with anyone he’s known well, let alone a stranger like Suh Youngho. And that’s not even the half of it. If Father finds out he’s sharing an apartment with a Twin Oaks wolf, he will be up to his eyeballs in shit and then some—which is precisely why the old man is never finding out. He really should find a new place to stay and he should do it today.

He feels inexplicably unhappy though, when he thinks about moving out before he’s even tried living with Suh Youngho. He doesn’t know much about him beyond Jaehyun’s assurances that Youngho hyung is a great guy, in fact the best guy. It’s not even like Jaehyun’s only started saying this in the last few days, i.e. since Jaehyun convinced his friend to take Taeyong in and subsequently convinced Taeyong to accept the offer. In fact, Jaehyun had often mentioned the hyung he practically worshipped the whole time they were roommates. Taeyong more or less remembers snippets of information about Youngho that he’d gleaned from past conversations with affable and affectionate Jaehyun. He misses his former roommate already but at the same time, there’s something about his new roommate that fascinates Taeyong. It’s…unexpected. He’s spent most of his life deliberately keeping people at a distance so he can’t quite explain why he’s so curious to learn more about this beta who has allowed a stranger like himself to take shelter under his roof.

When Youngho had told him he was a Twin Oaks wolf, Taeyong’s blood had run cold. He’d had no doubt in his mind that he would be spending the night in a sleeping bag on the floor of Nakamoto Yuta’s apartment. He’d also had no doubt in that moment that he and Suh Youngho would never cross paths again. The decades-long enmity between their two packs runs deep, coloring the lives of the members of both packs. While Taeyong had never cared much for this so-called rivalry between the two packs, he’d expected Youngho to be influenced by it. He’d almost collapsed with relief when Youngho had told him he could stay. Honestly, Taeyong is so fed up with how all this bullshit some ancestors had started years back is still causing problems for people now. It doesn’t help that pack elders refuse to shed light on how the conflict began and young wolves like Taeyong are expected to just blindly embrace the notion that the Twin Oaks Pack is made up of useless, undisciplined and ill-intentioned wolves. Twenty years ago, the Pack Council had decreed that Cedar Falls wolves were forbidden from interacting with Twin Oaks wolves in any way and failure to comply could result in expulsion from the Pack. Taeyong’s high school friend had suffered that exact fate. Lucas Wong wasn’t someone Taeyong had been super close to, but they had been close enough that Taeyong  was one of only five people who knew Lucas was sneaking out to a neighboring town to meet with a girl from Twin Oaks Pack.

One spring day, when Taeyong was in his senior year, a group of college-age Cedar Falls wolves had seen Lucas walking hand-in-hand with the girl and reported the incident to Taeyong’s father. Lucas had been exiled without trial and ordered to never set foot on Cedar Falls territory again. His parents couldn’t bear to cut ties with all their family members in the pack so they had swallowed down their anger and heartbreak and accepted the Pack Leader’s judgement. Ever since that awful spring day, they’ve been making trips to visit their son every couple of months. It hasn’t been easy for either of them. Taeyong had been very angry at his father all those years ago, both for his irrationality and for his cruelty. As far as Taeyong could see, Lucas had just been a boy in love with someone from the wrong pack. At the age of seventeen, Taeyong had possessed very little sympathy for a feud he didn’t understand. Now, at the age of twenty-four, he possessed even less sympathy for a feud he still doesn’t understand. He’s still angry with his father for subjecting Lucas to pack exile. Hell, he’s angry with his father over too much shit to mention but it’s too early in the morning to think about all the ugly things.

Taeyong wonders where Lucas is now, and if he’s well. He really needs to text him soon. They’ve stayed in contact through the years via KKT and email. Lucas has moved around a lot in the past seven years, ending up wherever he can find work. And when he passes through this city, he usually gives Taeyong a call and they’ll meet up for drinks at a speakeasy or have a meal together. Things hadn’t worked out between Lucas and the Twin Oaks wolf—just how it went with relationship things, he guesses. One night, when they were both more than halfway to being drunk, Taeyong had asked Lucas if he regretted it, regretted being cut off from their pack for a relationship that hadn’t even worked out. Lucas had laughed. A bitter sounding laugh. Then he’d said with a sad smile, “No, no regrets. I still think of her, you know? And I would do it all again.”  

Would Taeyong have been as brave as Lucas if he’d been in the same shoes? Would he have risked his standing with the pack to have a shot at a relationship with a wolf from Twin Oaks? Platonic or non-platonic? Taeyong isn’t sure that he would have taken that leap at the age of seventeen. He’s not altogether sure he’d do it now either at the ripe old age of twenty-four. He detests pack politics but his pack mates are another thing altogether. Giving up his family and friends like Lucas had done? He’s not sure he can do it. And wow, this is way too much heavy shit to be wrestling with when he’s still under his covers. He hasn’t even had his first shot of caffeine, for fuck’s sake.

And that’s when he notices that the air is laced with the aroma of coffee. It’s intermingled with something else, a scent more delicious than coffee. He remembers it from yesterday. _Youngho’s scent_. His wolf curls up contentedly. Taeyong’s wolf is generally very suspicious of new people and new surroundings but he had taken to Youngho and his wolf almost immediately. He’s still reeling from how fast his wolf has adapted to his new living situation. Taeyong had climbed into his new bed expecting to struggle for at least two hours before he could actually fall asleep. New place. New roommate. New wolf. He’d definitely expected to be seriously on edge. But instead, there had been something comforting about his new home. Maybe it was Youngho’s scent coming from the other end of the apartment, maybe it was the traces of Youngho’s scent that clung to the fibers of the sofa Taeyong slept on. Maybe he was just completely exhausted from relocating all his shit. But either way, Taeyong had knocked out within minutes of snuggling under his covers and that barely ever happens with him being a borderline insomniac. It’s the best night’s sleep he’s had in the longest time.

“You’re awake,” a mellow voice interrupts his thoughts. Youngho’s standing a few feet away with a mug of coffee in his hand, dressed in faded jeans and a soft, gray hoodie. He can’t get over how tall (and handsome) Youngho is. Jaehyun isn’t much shorter than him but there’s just somehow so much more of Youngho. He’s brushing his too-long strands of dark hair out of his eyes and he’s smiling and Taeyong feels a lot like he’s falling.

“I wouldn’t say that. I’m not really a morning person,” Taeyong mumbles, feeling really self-conscious all of a sudden. What if his hair is standing up in unattractive spikes? What if there’s drool encrusted in the corners of his mouth. What if—

“Damn. I’m sorry. I should have drawn the drapes last night so you could sleep in. Anyway, I can still do that now if you want to sleep some more. But um, if you’re getting up now, would you like some coffee? I forgot to show you where the coffee machine is last night and where all the coffee things are. Wait, do you drink coffee? I don’t keep any tea in the apartment so you’ll have to buy some if you’re into tea.” Youngho sounds almost nervous as he rambles on. It’s endearing and it makes Taeyong feel just a little less awkward.

“I have coffee in my veins,” Taeyong says at last and Youngho chuckles. For someone so large, he sure has such a gentle laugh. It makes Taeyong feel all warm inside.

“Are you ready for a coffee? How do you like your coffee?” Youngho watches him curiously, his large hands wrapped around his green coffee mug like he’s warming them.   

“I can get my own coffee,” he protests.

“We can call this your one-time only welcome drink,” Youngho laughs, waving his protest away. “Now how do you like your coffee?”

“Um. White with two sugars.”

“You like your coffee sweet, huh?” Youngho says with a teasing smile.

There’s no sign of judgement in his face or his words but Taeyong grumbles defensively anyway. “I just like sweet things.” And then his cheeks start burning up at the admission, he’s so embarrassed.     

“Hey, sweet things are good. Ok, so that’s one white coffee, two sugars. Coming up,” Youngho promises before heading for the kitchen. Taeyong slides all the way under his quilt, hoping his cheeks don’t look anywhere near as red as they feel. But with how bright it is in the apartment, what are the chances Youngho hadn’t noticed him blushing? Why is he so lame? Ugh.

When Youngho finally comes back with his coffee, Taeyong has more or less recovered his composure and is folding his quilt into a neat rectangle. He plans to store his bedding on Taeil hyung’s bed even if he isn’t ready to start using the actual bed. It had been a relief last night to see that Youngho seems to keep the apartment clean and tidy. It will make it a lot easier to actually share a room with him, he reckons. Then he stops in mid-thought as he realizes that he won’t be sharing an apartment or sleeping area with Youngho because his father would flip and banish him and he wouldn’t get to run in the forests of Cedar Falls ever again. _Fuck everything_ , he thinks in a burst of cold anger.   

“You okay?” Youngho asks tentatively as he offers Taeyong a red coffee mug.

“I—yeah. I’ll be okay. Thanks,” Taeyong says as he takes the proffered mug and sits down on the sofa bed.

“You sure?”

“You know what? I’m not so sure that I am.” Taeyong frowns as he takes a sip of the coffee. It tastes as good as it smells. Of course, it does. He should have known Youngho would make great tasting coffee. Just one more reason he doesn’t want to find a new place to stay and just one more reason to be mad at his father.

“Anything I can help you with?” Youngho asks and he looks so sincere as he stands there with one hand in his pocket and the other holding his green mug.

“Not really?” Taeyong sighs before taking a careful sip of the hot coffee. “This is really good.”

“Nothing beats starting the day with a cup of good coffee. I mean the world might be going up in flames around you but if you start the day with good coffee, you can ignore the inferno and get your shit done.”

Taeyong has to laugh at the ludicrous statement. “That is a gross exaggeration of the power of good coffee.”

“It made you laugh though so it’s a win,” Youngho says with a grin as he sits down on the nearby armchair. Then his expression turns more serious as he asks Taeyong yet again if he can help with anything.

“So here’s the thing,” Taeyong says as he cradles the bottom of his mug with his palm, “I kinda wanna stay but things could get really complicated if I do.”

Youngho sighs in understanding. “Ah. You mean the whole our packs are sworn rivals situation?”

“Yeah. I don’t know how things are with your pack but in mine—” Taeyong lets the sentence trail off because he’s not really sure how to even begin explaining.

“I’m not really in the know about pack politics. Like, I left for college when I was eighteen and I kinda prefer life here in the city so I only go back to Twin Oaks for short trips a few times a year.”

“But what about your family?” Taeyong can’t quite hide his shock. Pack ties aren’t easily broken and family ties within packs are even harder to break. Taeyong might have a shaky relationship with his father but he can’t imagine walking out on his mother or his older sister Joohyun.

“My parents passed away when I was sixteen,” Youngho says in a quiet voice. “So I moved in with my uncle—my dad’s brother. He was the only family I had left so he didn’t really have much choice but to take me in. Anyway, he was single when I first moved in with him and we got along okay, you know? But he met someone when I was away my first year at college. When I went home for the summer it was just weird.” Youngho gives a self-deprecating laugh. “It’s not like my uncle and his girlfriend made me feel unwelcome or anything, but I still felt like I was intruding. I stayed over at my friend Doyoung’s place a lot that summer. I haven’t gone back to Twin Oaks much since then. I always got summer jobs while I was at college so I could afford to stay back in the city—which is just as well since my uncle and Hyoyeon got married along the way and had a couple kids. Aaand that’s a lot of TMI to dump on you. I’m sorry, Taeyong.”

“I did ask,” he points out. “Is there any punishment for your pack when you interact with wolves from Cedar Falls?”

Youngho looks confused. “You mean like hang out?”

“Hang out, date, it doesn’t really matter. Basically, do wolves from your pack get punished for having any kind of relationship with a wolf from my pack?”

“Not as far as I know? But like I said, I’m really out of it with pack business. I’d have to ask Doyoung to be sure. What about your pack? Is punishment a thing for hanging out with wolves from my pack? Is that what you mean by things could get complicated if you stay here with me?”

“My pack is really strict, so yeah. Like if anyone told the Pack Leader that I was sharing an apartment with a Twin Oaks wolf, I would get exiled. Most likely for life,” Taeyong explains, his expression grim. He makes it a point not to mention that the Pack Leader is his father. If Youngho is as out of touch as he says he is, he might not know that Taeyong is Lee Sooman’s son. That’s a good thing as far as Taeyong is concerned.

“That’s hella harsh.” Youngho looks shocked.

Taeyong takes a sip of his coffee. “That’s just how it is with my pack. I hate it but there’s literally nothing I can do about it.”

“So I guess this is the part where you tell me that you’re moving to Yuta’s till you can find another place to stay.” Youngho doesn’t look pleased at the prospect and Taeyong is oddly encouraged by this.

“I was actually hoping you wouldn’t mind if I stayed. Your place is ten minutes’ walk from my office and I can’t see myself finding any place as near to work as this one. Plus I’ve already moved all my shit in and I’m not crazy about having to pack it all up again only to unpack it all over again.”

Youngho tilts his head and watches him curiously. “Any other reason you wanna stay?”

“You make great coffee?”

“That’s it?”

“You don’t snore like a freight train?”

Youngho chuckles. “How would you know? You went to bed before I did and I was up before you.”

“I woke up at 4 am to take a piss. You don’t snore like a freight train,” Taeyong retorts.

“Did Jaehyun snore like one?” Youngho asks, amused.

“Not that I could tell,” Taeyong shrugs. “But then again, we didn’t have a studio apartment and we never shared a room. So there’s that.”

“Look, I really don’t know if I can find another roommate anytime soon and well, you’ve already moved in so…I would really like it if you stayed. But only if you want to. I wouldn’t want you getting into trouble with your pack.”

“I really don’t want to move again. Not just yet, anyway,” Taeyong says unhappily.

“So stay.” Youngho’s looking right at him and for the second time that morning, Taeyong feels like he’s falling.

“I…guess I might stay for a while.” Taeyong gets the words out at last and then he has to look away because the intensity of Youngho’s stare is too much to bear.

“I’m glad,” Youngho says and he sounds like he means it.

Taeyong doesn’t say anything but he’s glad too.

  


  

     

 

On the Sunday afternoon after Taeyong’s arrival, they make a trip to the supermarket. Youngho watches with mild awe as Taeyong carefully and expertly selects a wide array of produce and meat for the week.  

“You know, Taeil hyung and I didn’t cook all that much.  I’m decent with breakfast things like pancakes and eggs and bacon and sausages but anything more complicated than that is a real challenge for me. As for Taeil hyung, he’s  possibly an even worse cook than me. Anyway, long story short, it was just easier to get takeout or just eat somewhere before coming home.”

“You can do what you were doing before if you prefer but well, I like to cook and it’s all the same to me whether I’m cooking for one person or two. So you can just join me if you want or do your own thing if you don’t want,” Taeyong shrugs as he picks out a huge Napa cabbage.

“You like to cook,” Youngho says with a thoughtful expression on his face.

“Yeah,” Taeyong replies distractedly as he turns the cabbage in his hands and stares at it like he’s looking for defects. Apparently satisfied with what he sees, he places the napa cabbage in the trolley.     

“You like to cook but you don’t like to eat.” Youngho is still stumped by this.

“It’s not that I don’t like to eat. More like I eat because I have to. But if the food tastes good I’ll still enjoy it, you know? Does that make sense?”

“So I guess that means you enjoy your own cooking?”

Taeyong shrugs. “It’s okay? I just like making stuff with my hands and cooking is kind of like making stuff with your hands, I guess. Plus, I don’t like crowded places so you know, eating out doesn’t work out as well for me.”

 _Likes making stuff with his hands_. Youngho stores another factoid in his mental folder before saying, “I really miss home cooked food.”

“I hope you like _dakjjim_ then, because that’s what I’m cooking tomorrow.”

“Sign me the hell up,” Youngho says enthusiastically. He can’t even remember when he last had home cooked _dakjjim_. Probably at Doyoung’s house when he was back in Twin Oaks for a visit.  

“You should probably tell me what you absolutely won’t eat so it’s easier to plan meals,” Taeyong says as he starts examining some red bell peppers. Planning meals makes it sound like Taeyong will stick around for a while and Youngho likes that idea. He likes it a lot.  

  
  
  
  
  
  


Before Youngho even reaches the front door of his apartment, he smells the aroma of dakjjim and...he takes another whiff and decides it’s the kimchi he’d helped Taeyong make the night before. If there’s one thing he had never expected to see, it was his 24 year-old ass making kimchi on a Sunday night with someone he’d literally only met a day before. And not just anyone. A wolf. From Cedar Falls. Talk about parallel universe.

He unlocks the door and walks in. The inside of the apartment is warm from the heat of the stove. Some of the boxes Taeyong had brought with him had contained cooking utensils, and pots and pans which Taeyong had already stored away neatly in the small kitchen. Now, he’s making use of some of that equipment because Youngho has never set eyes on any of the stuff Taeyong is currently using. The sleek silver rice cooker is rattling away on the counter as steam whooshes out from beneath the lid. Meanwhile,

Taeyong is standing in front of the large steel skillet that sits on the stove. The _dakjjim_ is boiling away merrily, aromatic steam uncurling into the air above it. The braised chicken smells delicious but it’s the person cooking it who holds Youngho’s attention. Taeyong is wearing a black pin-striped apron and he frowns in concentration as he tastes the reddish-brown liquid. He purses his lips, frown deepening as he makes some kind of mental calculation. Then he reaches for the salt shaker and adds a dash of salt to the bubbling stew. He stirs the contents of the pot before taking another taste and this time, he doesn’t reach for the salt shaker. He rests his wooden spoon on the empty plate sitting nearby and smooths his palms over the front of his apron. Youngho reckons it’s probably time he makes his presence known.

“Smells good,” he says and Taeyong startles before turning around to shoot Youngho an accusing glare.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that!” he scolds before getting his expression back to its default neutral.

“I wasn’t trying to,” Youngho says, chuckling. “Damn, it’s been a lifetime since I had homecooked _dakjjim_. I can’t wait.”

“It’s nothing to write home about,” Taeyong scoffs. But when Youngho takes his first mouthful half an hour later, it’s like tasting the flavors of his childhood all over again. In that moment, he knows with utmost certainty, that he has to convince Taeyong to be his roommate forever.

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Jae-D**

hyung, how are things working out with TY?

 

**johntography95**

he’s been here for 2.5 days, jaehyunnie

 

**Jae-D**

you must have something to say? cmon hyung

 

**johntography95**

my apartment has never been this clean

 

**Jae-D**

yeah. about that. just let him do his thing. he just like needs to clean, yk? are you guys getting along? i mean you don’t find him weird or anything, do you?

 

**johntography95**

nah. not yet anyway but it’s early days yet.

 

**Jae-D**

TY just needs time to warm up to new people. he’s a great guy istg. has he cooked anything yet?

**johntography95**

i made kimchi for the first time in my life on sunday. monday i had the best dakjjim i’ve had since my mom died.

 

**Jae-D**

isn’t he fantastic? i’m gonna miss his cooking. yuta is great in bed but he can’t cook worth a damn.   

 

**johntography95**

TMI jaehyunnie. TMI!

  
  
  
  
  


**VroomVroomBoi**

so you kicked lee taeyong out, right?

 

**johntography95**

not exactly?

**VroomVroomBoi**

YOU’RE NOT FUCKING SERIOUS?!

 

**johntography95**

so are we still on for spider-verse in two weeks?

 

**VroomVroomBoi**

don’t try to distract me hyung. GET. RID. OF. HIM.

 

**johntography95**

so, spider-verse? what’s the plan?

 

**VroomVroomBoi**

get a new roommate. non-negotiable.

 

**johntography95**

yup, sure. can we talk about spider-verse now?

  
  
  
  
  
  


Youngho and Taeyong slip into some semblance of a routine in the first two weeks. Taeyong seems to feel the need to clean the apartment every day. Youngho doesn’t believe the apartment gets dirty enough to clean every 24 hours but Taeyong clearly disagrees. He doesn’t expect Youngho to help though so Youngho just lets him vacuum the hell out of the hardwood floors and the sofa and wipe down every available surface till it squeaks. Taeyong continues to use the sofa bed every night although he goes to bed much later than he had on Saturday, now that he isn’t completely exhausted from moving. He makes it a point not to pull out the mattress till Youngho’s watched most of his favorite shows, the ones he doesn’t like to miss. Youngho tells him he can pull the mattress out earlier but he appreciates Taeyong’s thoughtfulness.  

They both start work at 8.30 am. Youngho wakes up at 7 am and starts the day with cereal or toast or poached eggs. Taeyong lets his alarm ring and ring and ring before crawling out from under the covers at half past. Taeyong had announced on Sunday that his stomach can’t accept anything solid before 9 am so breakfast at home isn’t a thing he does. He does, however, drag his ass to the breakfast counter so he can inhale the coffee Youngho makes for him—white, two sugars of course. Youngho’s never had to ask after that first time. Taeyong sits there bleary-eyed, gulping down coffee as Youngho talks at him. Taeyong had told him over takeout pizza the night before that he can’t really function till he’s had a second cup of coffee. Youngho doesn’t really want to sit across the counter from him like a stranger he’s been forced to share a table with in a crowded coffee shop, so he talks to Taeyong. He speaks in a soft voice about how his day is going to go that day. He talks about all kinds of random stuff. What he doesn’t do is ask Taeyong any questions because he knows Taeyong isn’t awake enough to respond. He doesn’t know if Taeyong registers what he’s saying but he doesn’t ever tell Youngho to stop so Youngho continues to talk. They sometimes leave the apartment at the same time and walk together for part of the journey, till their routes take them in opposite directions. Half-revived by his morning shower and a second cup of coffee, Taeyong tells him stuff too. He doesn’t say much but he tries. It’s nice. Having Taeyong’s company-not-company in the mornings is nice.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The apartment is too quiet. Youngho’s only been gone for a day but it feels like he’s been gone for days. Taeyong had heated up some leftovers for dinner and eaten alone. After two weeks of having Youngho for company during dinner, it’s eerily quiet. He’s become just a little too used to Youngho’s energy and his easy conversation. Taeyong finds most conversations draining, like when the person on the other end expects too much from you. With Youngho and Jaehyun, they’re happy to do most of the talking and they’re chill and mellow and not noisy. Taeyong likes that and he’s come to look forward to spending time with Youngho whether it’s sharing a meal, walking to work, watching something on tv or even washing dishes or doing laundry together. He misses Youngho’s voice telling him things while they eat and even watching Netflix on his tablet isn’t enough to dispel the quiet. Maybe he should have agreed to go out for dinner and drinks with Yuta, Jaehyun, Sicheng and Taeil hyung after all. But then he thinks about being the fifth wheel and getting stranded at a club with flashing lights and deafening music for hours on end and he knows he’d made the right choice.    

After dinner, he tries to watch some TV and ends up listlessly flipping between channels. He wonders if Youngho is having fun. He’d told Taeyong a couple days ago that he was going to spend the weekend hanging out with his best friend, Doyoung. His friend lives in the next city and they’d made plans weeks ago to watch _Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse_ this Saturday and hang out together till Sunday. Youngho had left before 9 am and Taeyong sleeps in on Saturdays so he hadn’t seen Youngho since the night before. He half wishes Youngho had woken him up to say goodbye. Taeyong is no stranger to having an empty apartment to himself. God knows Jaehyun had slept over at Yuta’s often enough. He’d never felt this way though: so restless, so at loose ends. He finally settles on a movie to watch on TV. Some 90s flick called _Hackers_. It’s trashy and flashy and keeps him distracted for 1 hour and 47 minutes. But he’s had enough of the TV by the end of the movie and goes to the bathroom to wash up and get changed for bed.  

He tries to sleep. He really, really tries but after one and a half hours of agonized tossing and turning, he’s downright desperate. He hasn’t had to deal with insomnia since he moved into this apartment and he’s forgotten how much he hates that feeling of helplessness, when you want to sleep so fucking bad but your mind and body just won’t stop. He’s gotten used to falling asleep with Youngho’s scent filling his senses but the sofa smells more of Taeyong than Youngho now. And Youngho’s bed is too far away; Taeyong can’t get more than a faint whiff of Youngho’s scent every now and then. After grappling with indecision for ten minutes, Taeyong finally caves. He slides off the sofabed and walks over to the bedroom. There are no walls to separate the beds from the sitting room and kitchen but he and Youngho call it the bedroom anyway.

Taeyong enters and turns on the light. His eyes scan the area as he tries to find something, anything that he can use. He could sleep on Taeil hyung’s bed. That would definitely be close enough to Youngho’s bed that he could inhale his scent. But Taeyong is so fucking tired and the thought of having to put sheets on it right now is just too much for him to handle. Finally, his eyes settle on the pile of plushies on Youngho’s bed. Taeyong had smiled the first time he saw that pile of cute because it had just seemed so unexpected that someone of Youngho’s size and age would have a weakness for stuffed animals. But after living with the guy for two weeks, Taeyong knows Youngho is so much gentler than he looks and that he has a pure, marshmallow heart with lots and lots of room for soft plushies and weirdo roommates. Taeyong hates how empty the apartment feels without Youngho and he hates that he misses having him around.

 _What are you doing, Lee Taeyong? Just focus on why you’re here. Something for the insomnia, remember?_  He shakes his head like it will somehow make him focus. Borrowing one of Youngho’s plushies as a sleep aid would be the easiest option but Youngho would know right away that Taeyong had cuddled one of his plushies. His scent would be all over it. Maybe he can just put Jake on the coffee table. He can totally do that but it just doesn’t seem like the perfect fit. There has to be a better option, for fuck’s sake. Just as Taeyong is about to give up, he catches sight of the soft, sand colored hoodie Youngho had been wearing the night before. It’s spread across the foot of the bed in a haphazard fashion, like Youngho had flung it there in a hurry. Taeyong picks it up and sniffs the familiar, comforting scent of his roommate. His eyes close in relief; he’s found the perfect fit. He’ll just make sure to wash the hoodie in the morning and hopefully that will be enough to get rid of any telltale traces of his own scent. He’s so desperate for sleep now he doesn’t even care if Youngho figures things out.

He decides to drape the hoodie on the back of the sofa and settles back down on the mattress with a sigh. It’s almost 2 am and he is so ready to pass out already. As Youngho’s scent curls around him, his limbs start to relax. Unfortunately, his mind is still all over the place. Is Youngho still out with Doyoung? Is he sober? Are they safe? Is he drinking and driving? What if something bad happens? Taeyong’s always been a worrier and he can sense his anxiety levels starting to rise. He needs to calm down or he’s never going to get any sleep. Taeyong reaches up to grab the hoodie. He just needs to calm down, he thinks, as he slips it on and lets the scent of Youngho wash over him and wrap around him. Youngho’s fine, he thinks as his mind and body start to relax. Youngho will be just fine, he thinks over and over before sleep finally claims him.         

  
  
  
  
  
  


Youngho lets himself into the apartment as quietly as he can. It’s almost midnight and it’s cold and dark in the apartment. He’s two hours overdue because of the horrendous traffic on the highway. Taeyong has got to be asleep already. Youngho turns on his phone flashlight because switching on the ceiling lights might wake Taeyong up. He wonders if Taeyong had gone out with friends while he was away, if he had maybe had people over. Hanging out with Doyoung is always fun but if Youngho is being honest with himself, he’d missed hanging out with Taeyong too. Doyoung had been on his case multiple times during the weekend to dump his new roomie and Youngho had not known how to tell him that he was actually trying his best to make sure said new roomie _never_ moved out.

By some miracle, Youngho manages to get to the bedroom without tripping over anything. He really doesn’t want to disturb Taeyong even if a small, selfish part of himself wishes Taeyong would wake up somehow so they could say hello or some sappy shit like that. Once he enters the bedroom, he turns on the bedside lamp and he yelps in shock at what he sees. For the first time in sixteen days, Taeil hyung’s bed isn’t empty. It’s no longer empty because Taeyong is sleeping on it, all snuggled up in his quilt. They’d spoken earlier. Youngho had called Taeyong to tell him he’d be late because of traffic and Taeyong had mumbled something like _come back safe_ and then Youngho had asked how things were at the apartment and he can’t be sure but Taeyong had sounded almost guilty when he’d said everything was fine. Like he was hiding something from Youngho. For a few moments, Youngho had wondered if he’d broken the vacuum cleaner or his favorite green coffee mug or who knows what else.  Maybe that’s why Taeyong had sounded guilty—because he’d moved into the bedroom without giving Youngho any kind of warning. Taeyong still gets shy around him sometimes and maybe he’d decided that just moving in here would be way easier than trying to make some awkward announcement about wanting to move in.

Youngho sits on his bed for a while—just listening to Taeyong’s soft snores. For the past two weeks, he’s walked past the sofabed on his way to the kitchen. Youngho is an early riser and Taeyong is not so he’s always awake before his new roommate. Every morning, he’s seen Taeyong nestled in his quilt, his face mostly obscured from view as he sleeps. Tonight though, tonight is the first time Youngho’s had a chance to see his face properly—eyes closed and features relaxed. Taeyong always looks a little on edge when he’s awake, like his body is wound tight with suppressed energy. But now he just looks soft and unburdened and it makes Youngho happy to see him this way. _Why do you always look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, Lee Taeyong?_

He has no answers to this question but he hopes that Taeyong will let him shoulder some of that weight one day. He hopes Taeyong will trust him enough one day to let him do that. For now though, he’s just elated that Taeyong trusts him enough to finally sleep in here. Letting out a happy sigh, Youngho gets up and walks over to the wardrobe to get his cotton pajama pants and an old short-sleeved raglan tee. He’s on the way back to the nightstand when he sees his flannel hoodie at the foot of the bed. He could have sworn he’d just thrown it on the bed this morning but it’s neatly folded now. Why would Taeyong fold his hoodie? Puzzled, he lifts the hoodie to his face and inhales the overpowering scent of...laundry detergent and wolf. Traces of his own scent and traces of another wolf’s scent. The intermingled scents are clinging to the entire surface of the hoodie though. It’s not something you could achieve from just folding it. Had Taeyong worn his hoodie?  Why would he do that? Could it be—? Had Taeyong worn it because he missed him? He’d only texted Youngho once in the whole time he’d been away but for whatever reason, Taeyong had decided to wear his hoodie. And he obviously doesn’t want Youngho to find out if the session in the washing machine is any indication.

Maybe he’ll ask Taeyong about it one day but there’s no rush. For now, he’s just content with the knowledge that Taeyong trusts him enough to move in here. He puts his hoodie on the nightstand and takes a final glance at Taeyong before switching off the bedside lamp. Then he switches his phone flashlight back on and heads over to the bathroom to shower and wash up. Youngho’s body is still warm from the shower when he climbs into bed and pulls the quilt over himself. Soon the weather will be cold enough that he’ll have to take out his down quilt but the cotton one is enough for now. He lays on his side and takes one last look at Taeyong before turning off his phone flashlight. Taeyong’s scent has permeated the room and Youngho loves it, loves how warm and safe it makes him feel. He hopes this isn’t a one-off thing and that he’ll get to fall asleep with Taeyong just across the room from him the following night and the night after that and the night after that.

 _Goodnight, Lee Taeyong_ , he whispers as he snuggles under his covers. Then he closes his eyes and lets the rhythm of Taeyong’s snores lull him to sleep.

  
  
  
  
  
  


After that night, Taeyong takes over Taeil hyung’s bed permanently. To his relief, Youngho hadn’t made things weird that first morning. He hadn’t asked Taeyong any difficult questions about why he’d moved in and he hadn’t mentioned the hoodie at all. Taeyong wonders if Youngho had smelled his scent on the hoodie and figured out that he’d worn it. He must have, right? And then he makes himself stop thinking about it because thinking about it will accomplish absolutely nothing. Not unless he’s planning to confront Youngho about the whole thing and there is no way he’s confessing to his roommate that he couldn’t fall asleep because he hadn’t been around and that he hadn’t been able to sleep till he put on his hoodie. Nope. There’s no fucking way he’s going to embarrass himself that way.

Taeyong learns more about Youngho as the days go by. He learns that Youngho likes reading, that Youngho likes books. He likes reading actual, printed books. Mystery novels, memoirs, sci-fi. All kinds of books. Sometimes he curls up on the armchair, his long legs dangling over the arm of the chair. Sometimes he lies in bed with the novel balanced on his chest and his head resting on his arm. Sometimes he lies on his tummy with the book open on the bed in front of him. Taeyong doesn’t like reading books; he’s more of a webtoon person. Taeyong doesn’t like reading but he loves watching Youngho read.

Taeyong learns that Youngho is a morning person. Taeyong is not a morning person but that’s okay because Youngho doesn’t try to force Taeyong to function before he’s fully awake, even if that happens to be two to three hours after Youngho is up and about and on the go. He’s up at 8 am on weekends but he lets Taeyong sleep in till he’s ready to face the world.

Taeyong learns that Youngho likes the sun, likes being out in it and he tries to drag Taeyong out of the apartment so Taeyong won’t spend the whole day playing computer games. He likes to stay indoors but sometimes he lets Youngho talk him into going out into the open. It’s nice to go out and do stuff sometimes, just like it’s nice to eat out too sometimes instead of always staying in and cooking. It helps that Youngho always tries his best to find places that aren’t too obnoxiously crowded, places that won’t be too overwhelming for Taeyong. They even meet up with Jaehyun, Yuta, Taeil and Sicheng once in a while. Jaehyun teased Youngho the first time it had happened, “Hey hyung, what’s your secret, huh? How’d you get Taeyong past the front door? I don’t think I even got him to go out with us a total of five times and we were roommates for a year. You’ve been roomies for like...three and a half minutes? C’mon share!” Youngho had just punched him on the shoulder and said there was no secret, that Taeyong just felt like having ribs with fondue that night. Jaehyun had given him a knowing look, “But Taeyong doesn’t get cravings, hyung.” Taeyong had heard enough by then as he glared at Jaehyun and asked him to shut up.

Taeyong learns that Youngho has a birthmark on his left hip. This is something Taeyong discovers by accident. Youngho usually walks out of the shower fully dressed, especially now that it’s late fall and the apartment gets really chilly when the heating isn’t on. But there’s one day when Youngho forgets to bring his change of clothes into the bathroom and he emerges ten minutes later with a towel wrapped around his hips. Taeyong is sitting at Taeil hyung’s old desk, working on some sketches he’d brought home from the office when Youngho walks past. He can’t help staring at the pale brown mark on Youngho’s left hip, the crest of it peeking out from the top edge of his navy blue towel. He wonders how big it is and what shape it is. He probably spends no more than five seconds staring at Youngho but the mental image of his birthmark and his lean hips and waist haunt Taeyong for the rest of the day.  

Taeyong learns that he likes being roommates with Youngho. They’re so different from each other in so many ways and yet they manage to fit together quite well. Taeyong knows that this kind of peaceful existence won’t last. Whether his father finds out that he’s living with an enemy wolf or not, he will find a way to mess things up for Taeyong. He will find a way to shatter whatever peace Taeyong has managed to eke out for himself.  It’s just a matter of when. That’s always been how it is.

  
  
  
  
  
  


It’s been four weeks since Taeyong moved in and Youngho has been steadily adding factoids to the mental folder he keeps for Taeyong.

1: Taeyong likes the sun. He likes clear weather and it’s easier to drag him outdoors when the sun is out.  But if he’s hooked on a game or has a work deadline, no amount of sun will tempt him to go beyond the front door.  

2: He likes to take naps when it’s rainy outside and Youngho isn’t someone who naps in the afternoon but when it’s raining and Taeyong snuggles up in bed to sleep, Youngho often decides to read in bed. And sometimes Youngho just lies down in bed and lets the clean fresh scent of Taeyong wash right over him. It always makes him feel warm and safe and relaxed and before he knows it, he’s feeling sleepy. Sometimes, he thinks about how nice it would be if he and Taeyong could snuggle up in a pile and fall asleep together.  

3: Taeyong is 3.5 inches shorter than Youngho and it doesn’t make much sense but Taeyong’s shoulders are wider than Youngho’s. He can’t explain it but he kind of likes the fact that they could wear each other’s shirts if they wanted. In fact, he would really love it if Taeyong wore his clothes.  

4: Taeyong is a perfectionist. Whether it’s about cleaning the apartment or cooking or work related stuff, Taeyong gives it his all.

5: Taeyong finds documentaries boring. Youngho likes documentaries because he’s always had a streak of geek in him. He especially likes watching wildlife documentaries and Taeyong tends to join him on the couch even though documentaries aren’t really his thing. By the ten-minute mark, Taeyong is usually asleep, his head resting on Youngho’s shoulder. Youngho loves when that happens but when Taeyong eventually wakes up (usually about twenty to thirty minutes later), he’ll sit up with a start, face and ears red. They never ever talk about it but the next time Youngho watches a documentary, Taeyong sits down beside him and he falls asleep on Youngho’s shoulder again. Youngho hopes he never stops doing that. And maybe one day he’ll even have the courage to wrap his arm around Taeyong.

6: When Taeyong is upset about something, he stress cleans. Youngho can always tell Taeyong has had a difficult day if he comes home, opens the door and gets struck by the odor of bleach and cleaning products. The stronger the odor, the more upset Taeyong is. On days like this, Youngho lets him have his space unless Taeyong decides he wants to talk. It’s only happened twice since Taeyong moved in and both times it was to do with Taeyong’s dad. Taeyong had told him that much even if he wouldn’t tell Youngho any specifics. Youngho worries that the day will come when Taeyong’s father discovers his living situation and forces him to move out of this apartment. Youngho doesn’t want that day to ever come because he can no longer imagine sharing this apartment with anyone who isn’t Taeyong. And what if Taeyong is banished from Cedar Falls? Will he be able to accept the reality? He hopes they never have to find out.

Youngho is discovering more and more new things about his roommate every day. And every day, he gets text messages from Doyoung asking whether he’s kicked Taeyong out, that he should do it soon because things will get messy if the pack elders find out. The Twin Oaks pack elders don’t care all that much if their wolves socialize with Cedar Falls wolves _as long as_ they don’t create any kind of conflict between the two packs. Youngho and Taeyong’s living arrangement would not be an issue for them if Taeyong were a regular wolf. But Taeyong is not a regular wolf and no one wants Taeyong’s father starting shit with the pack. The elders always have to consider the security of the pack as a whole above the happiness of individual wolves. It’s a tricky situation and it’s not one Youngho can afford to ignore. Thus, it’s getting harder and harder to keep it from Doyoung that he has no intention of asking Taeyong to move out. Some days, he’s worried that Doyoung will show up on his doorstep and drag Taeyoung out by the ear, but he also knows Doyoung would never do anything that dramatic. No. It’s more Doyoung’s style to nag Youngho every day and nag him senseless, so much so that Youngho will be the one to drag Taeyong out by the ear—just to make Doyong stop. But no amount of nagging will make Youngho ask Taeyong to leave. He’s not sure if Taeyong is still looking for another place to stay and he’s too scared to ask but he hopes he isn’t. He really hopes he isn’t.

  
  
  
  
  
  


“Let’s eat at the first cheap eatery we find,” Youngho suggests as they stroll along the sidewalk. The sky is streaked with shades of lilac and orange and the streets are spilling over with Saturday evening traffic.  

Taeyong makes a face. “What if the food is terrible?”

“There’s no food you dislike, remember?”

“But there’s food _you_ dislike and I just think we should be more systematic about this. Like consult a restaurant app or something,” Taeyong protests but Youngho ignores him.

“Look, Thai food. This looks like a decent place,” Youngho grabs Taeyong by the elbow, pulling him to a halt in front of the restaurant. Taeyong cups his hands over the glass and peers inside. There are pine tables and red cafe chairs inside, plus a long counter with tall, silver bar stools. The place is only half full which is a ratio Taeyong can tolerate.

“It’s called _Tasty Thailand_ , Youngho,” Taeyong says, eyeing Youngho skeptically, “are you sure about this?”

“It looks great. Come on, let’s do this,” Youngho places his large hands on Taeyong’s shoulders and guides him towards the entrance. Youngho’s grip is gentle as he stands behind him and he waits patiently as Taeyong pushes the glass door open.

They find a table for two in the far corner. They always try to get a corner table. It’s instinct; your backs aren’t as exposed if any shit goes down. Before too long they’re both eating large portions of pad thai. It’s delicious, the intense flavors popping wildly on his tongue. In fact, it’s so mouthwatering that even Taeyong has to admit that it’s delicious. The reluctant admission makes Youngho smile and it’s one of those smiles, the kind that always warms Taeyong’s insides—the kind where his teeth show and he looks like he’s in love with life and he’s just so happy to be with you in that moment. Taeyong is weak for that smile and he wishes Youngho didn’t flash it at him quite so often.

Afraid he’ll reveal too much if he maintains eye contact with Youngho, Taeyong looks down at his glass of Singha beer. He runs his fingertip over the sweating glass and stares as the beads of condensation roll down the slick surface.

A polite, male voice interrupts his reverie. “Taeyong? Lee Taeyong?” Abruptly, Taeyong looks up because the voice calling out his name is not Youngho’s. His gut clenches and his heart starts racing when he sees the heart-shaped face the voice belongs to. What is he doing here? He doesn’t live in this city. Why is he here? He _can’t_ be here. And of all the restaurants in the city, why had he decided to walk into this one, fuck his life.

“Taeyong, you ok?” Youngho asks, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. Taeyong nods at him as if to say yes, he’s fine and then he stands up and shakes hands with the newcomer.

“Chittaphon. What brings you to Chicago?” Taeyong asks in formal tones.

“Only my grandparents call me Chittaphon. Please, just call me Ten,” the handsome, dark-haired man says with quiet insistence. “I’m here to attend a college friend’s wedding. The ceremony is in the morning and a few of us out-of-towners decided to grab some Thai food for dinner. Someone recommended this place.”

“Ah, I see,” Taeyong says, shifting on his feet awkwardly.

“Who’s your friend?” Ten asks, his expression openly curious. Youngho stands up immediately and offers his right hand and a tentative smile.

“Hi, I’m Youngho,” he says simply and Ten shakes his hand with an equally reserved smile.

“I’m Ten, of Aspen Lake Pack. Which pack are you from, Youngho?”

Youngho hesitates and Taeyong’s heart rate shoots through the roof. If he tells Ten the truth, it’s game over for him.

“Maple Creek Pack,” Youngho says at last and Taeyong almost collapses in relief. He knows the relief will be short-lived. Ten is bound to investigate further into Youngho’s background and if he discovers the truth Taeyong is done for.

“Maple Creek is…a long way out from here,” Ten points out.

“Yeah. It is. I went to college here in Chicago and I found work here too. It made sense to just relocate.”

“So the two of you met at college or—?” Ten is obviously fishing but Taeyong can’t come up with any answers, his brain paralysed by panic.

“You could say that,” Youngho nods before adding that they met through mutual friends. He doesn’t, however, mention that they hadn’t known each other in college at all.

“I see,” Ten says. Then he directs a carefully neutral smile in Taeyong’s direction. “Will you be going back to Cedar Falls soon? I really must make a visit out there when you’re next home so we can talk about...future plans.” His words reduce Taeyong’s stomach to a cold, hard lump.

“Your friends are trying to get your attention,” Youngho says and indeed, the three men Ten had arrived with are waving at him from their table by the door. Not wolves, Taeyong observes distractedly.

He does a quick half-bow. “I should get back to them. Enjoy your meal.”

Ten walks away and silence settles over the table. Taeyong stares at his food, completely at a loss for words.

“That’s the Pack Leader’s son?” Youngho asks in a soft voice and Taeyong looks up in surprise.

“I thought you didn’t keep up with pack politics.”

“I don’t. When you first moved in, I asked Doyoung if he knew anything about you. I mean, you were a stranger to me and suddenly you were under my roof. I just thought it was a good idea to do some research.”

“What did Doyoung say?”

Youngho takes a mouthful of his pad thai before saying, “Eat, Taeyong. You’ll probably feel better after you’ve had some more food.”

“I can’t eat right now. The idea of eating anything right now…I just can’t.”

“Okay,” he sighs unhappily.

“Just tell me what Doyoung said, Youngho. Please.”

“He said there were rumors that your father was trying to marry you off to the son of the Aspen Lake Pack Leader. Were they just rumors?”

“No.”

“So you’re engaged?”

“No.”

“But you will be?” Youngho’s watching him with a soft expression, like he wants to comfort Taeyong but he’s not sure how to do it.

“When the old men decide they want it to happen.”

“Do you want it? Want it to happen, I mean?”

Taeyong rubs his knuckles obsessively.

“No.”

“Can you tell them you want out?”    

“No.” Taeyong grips his left fist to stop himself from fidgeting.

“You know what? Let’s just settle the bill and leave. I don’t think this is a good place for you to be right now. What do you think?” Youngho’s voice is soft, so soft and it’s making it harder for Taeyong to keep his emotions in check when Youngho is being kind like this.

“I want to get out of here,” Taeyong says miserably. Youngho gets the check and after he’s paid, they get up to leave. Youngho places his hand on Taeyong’s shoulder; it’s a light grip but it makes Taeyong feel like he’s got an extra layer of armor, like he can walk past Ten without feeling like he has to bend his head down in submission. They can’t avoid walking past Ten’s table but they manage to escape with a wordless smile and half-bow. Taeyong is so stressed he can’t even remember if Ten had smiled or frowned at him. He’ll have to ask Youngho later, he thinks as they step out onto the sidewalk.

It had been warm inside the restaurant but the autumnal chill out here is biting. Taeyong shivers at the drop in temperature and all of a sudden Youngho’s arm slides around his right shoulder and Youngho holds him close to his side. Taeyong should probably say something, should probably protest that he’s not a child and that Youngho doesn’t have to protect him from the big, bad world. He should do _something_ but Youngho is so warm and strong and so good to lean on and Taeyong decides _fuck it just let me have one good thing tonight_ and he wraps his arm around Youngho’s slim waist—the slim waist he hasn’t stopped thinking about since the day he’d seen him in that navy blue towel.   

Youngho doesn’t say anything, he just tightens his arm around Taeyong’s shoulder and they walk and walk and keep on walking. Finally, after ten minutes of just walking, Youngho turns to face Taeyong, his eyes serious. “You know, there’s this place I like to go to. When I need to clear my head, you know? Sometimes I just need to run for a while and my problems always feel a little smaller afterwards. Would you like me to take you there?”

“I…yes. It’s been so long since I last had a run. I usually try to go at least once every two weeks but I’ve been so distracted with the whole moving apartments thing.” _And you, I’ve been distracted by you_ , he thinks but doesn’t say.  

“Okay. Let’s go back to the apartment so I can get my car keys. It’s about forty minutes outside the city,” Youngho says and Taeyong lets him walk him back to the apartment, content to snuggle against Youngho’s body heat as the evening breeze nips at their hands and cheeks.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Taeyong stares at their linked hands as they rest on Youngho’s thigh. Youngho’s eyes are focused on the road but his fingertips are tracing gentle circles onto the sensitive skin on the back of Taeyong’s hand. They’ve been holding hands since they left the apartment half an hour ago. Taeyong’s emotions are in tumult but he wouldn’t have let go of Youngho’s hand for anything. Youngho hasn’t pushed him to talk and he’s so grateful for that because his head is in such a mess right now—mostly because Youngho has been acting more like a boyfriend than a roommate tonight. Not to mention his encounter with Ten has completely knocked him off balance.

He’s only met Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul four, maybe five times in the past three years and he’s still a complete enigma to him. They’d met at dinners with their parents where they’d conducted polite, impersonal conversations that skirted around the fact that their parents intended for them to marry. A marriage between Ten and Taeyong would solidify the alliance between their two packs and expand their territorial presence and strength. So while a formal betrothal has not been announced, the two families have had a longtime understanding that their two sons will marry at some time in the future.

For years, Taeyong has been fighting with his father over this arranged marriage issue. He thinks it’s an outdated and cruel ritual which completely ignores the wants and needs of the people getting married. He’s been resisting the marriage for years, refusing to put his signature on the betrothal contract. He knows his father is just biding his time. The only reason Lee Sooman hasn’t forced Taeyong to sign it is because it’s not yet the optimum time for the marriage to happen. Taeyong has no doubt that when the time comes, his father will find a way to make him cooperate. He has accepted since childhood that his fate is to marry for the advancement of the Cedar Falls Pack. He’s been told that Ten is a decent guy who is filial to his parents and loyal to his pack. He could have had a far worse candidate than Ten for his potential husband. Taeyong knows this but the thought of leaving his quiet life in the city with Youngho to marry a stranger and live with him in a strange place fills him with a sense of wrongness and dread.      

“Hey,” Youngho says, his voice full of concern as he tightens his grip on Taeyong’s hand. “We’ll be there soon, ok? You’ll feel better after you run and then maybe, like if you feel like it, we can talk about things. I know none of this is my business but I’d like to help if I can; if you’ll let me.”

“I’d like that. And thank you, Youngho, for everything.  For letting me stay, for taking care of me tonight. This is so much more than a roommate should have to do for another roommate.”

Youngho sighs. “Oh, Taeyong. You’ve never been just a roommate to me. I mean, I’m sure you think of me as just a roommate but I’m not sure I’ve ever thought of you that way.”

“I had no idea,” Taeyong stares at him in shock and Youngho laughs.

“Well, I _was_ trying to be low-key. I guess it worked.”

“I’ve been trying to be low-key too. Did it work?” The words spill out of Taeyong’s mouth before he can stop them and Youngho’s warm laugh fills Taeyong’s senses.

“Yes, it worked. Do we still have to be low-key?”

“Let’s not,” Taeyong says as he squeezes Youngho’s hand and Youngho turns to smile at him before bringing his attention back to the road.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Taeyong is free. He runs through the forest, his paws striking leaves and dirt and broken twigs. Taeyong throws off his earthly worries and lets him mind soar through the forest. The air smells fresh and crisp and green. The forest is dark and cold but Taeyong doesn’t feel the cold so much with the protection he gets from his silver and white coat. He just runs and runs, his spirit becoming one with nature again after a too-long break. Beside him, a large, silver-gray wolf runs too. A beta. _My beta_ , Taeyong thinks. _Our beta_ , his wolf corrects as they run and run and run through the trees.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Youngho is still buttoning up the front of his shirt when Taeyong emerges from behind the trees. Taeyong is already fully dressed and his shoulders are relaxed, the tension having left most of his muscles.

“Feel better?” Youngho asks even if he already knows the answer.

“Yeah. It’s been too long. I should have done this earlier.”

“Better late than never.”

Taeyong stops right in front of him and Youngho takes his hands in his.

“I don’t want you to feel like you owe me anything. Like just because I want to be more than a roommate to you, it doesn’t mean I expect you to want the same thing. I know you’re going through a lot right now and I just want you to know that you can take as long as you need to sort things out and—” Youngho is cut off mid-sentence as Taeyong hugs him. It’s unexpected and sweet. Oh God it’s so sweet and so good to have Taeyong in his arms like this. Taeyong looks up at him and there’s something in his eyes, something soft and tender and Youngho’s heart melts.

“Youngho,” Taeyong whispers against his lips and Youngho closes his eyes as Taeyong’s tongue slips inside his mouth. Taeyong’s hands cup the sides of Youngho’s neck as the kiss deepens—their tongues touching and exploring, slow and gentle. When their lips finally part, Youngho leans forward so their foreheads touch.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” Youngho says, a little breathlessly. His heart is still beating too fast.

“Better late than never,” Taeyong smiles and it’s the most carefree Youngho has seen him look all day.

“We should probably talk,”

“Or we could just make out,” Taeyong says as he kisses him again.

“We can do that when we get home. It’s kinda cold out here and, well, there are bugs. It’s nice and warm at home.” As soon as he says it, there’s a pang in Youngho’s chest. How long will his apartment be home for Taeyong? How long before Taeyong’s father destroys everything? It suddenly feels a lot cooler out here and he hugs Taeyong to his chest.

“All right, fine. We can make out when we get home,” Taeyong grumbles.

“We should head back to the car so we can start on the drive home. We can talk in the car.”

“Okay,” Taeyong says, allowing Youngho to lead him by the hand.

  
  
  
  
  
  


They’ve only been in the apartment for two minutes when Taeyong’s phone buzzes. He frowns as he reads the incoming text message. Then he places the phone on his lap, screen down.

“Taeyong?”

“That was my father.”

“What does he want?”

“He wants me to go back to Cedar Falls next weekend, so we can discuss the betrothal,” Taeyong says in a tight little voice.

“Are you going?” Youngho asks, his stomach clenching with dread.

“No.”

“Can you do that? Say no to your Pack Alpha?”

Taeyong raises his chin. “I can if he isn’t my Pack Alpha.”

“What are you saying, Taeyong?”

“I’m going to call him tomorrow and tell him that he has to banish me because I’ve been living with a Twin Oaks Pack wolf for the past four weeks and I intend to keep on living with him.”

“But Taeyong, what about your family?” Ironically, Youngho finds himself asking the same thing Taeyong had asked him weeks ago.

“My noona and my mom and I, we can meet up every now and then. Just like how my friend Lucas and his parents have met up over the years. And my noona, she’ll support me because she hates this arranged marriage bullshit as much as I do. My father expects Joohyun to marry an alpha from some other pack when she’s in love with an alpha from her own pack. Seulgi and her, they’re soulmates. They’ve been soulmates their whole damned life. Sometimes, I really hate my father.”

“Does he know about Seulgi?”

Taeyong gives a bitter smile. “Of course he does. My noona tried to reason with him but he won’t gain any additional power or lands from a marriage between Seulgi and noona so it’s a useless union in his eyes. Noona has been trying to find a way to stop my father. One that won’t force all of us to give up the pack. Maybe she’ll overthrow Father and he’ll be the one who gets exiled for a change. And wolves like Lucas and me can come home and run free in the forests of Cedar Falls again.”

“Are you sure you can deal with being exiled? I mean the pack lands and the pack members…you won’t be allowed home ever again, right? That’s what you said?”

“Yes, Youngho, I said all that and I’ve made my choice.”

“But—”

“Tell me you want me to stay, won’t you?” Taeyong says, his eyes pleading.

“I do want you to stay,” Youngho says, closing his eyes as he embraces Taeyong, “In fact, I kinda want you to stay forever.” Taeyong doesn’t say anything but he buries his face in Youngho’s neck and he can feel the outline of Taeyong’s smile against his skin. They just stand there for a while, just enjoying the sensation of being in each other’s arms after weeks of tiptoeing around trying not to touch each other at all.

“Anyway, it’s been a really long day and my problems are still going to be there in the morning. In fact, they’re going to multiply. I’m tired and I’m ready to pass out. Let’s go,” Taeyong says as he pulls Youngho to the bedroom and Youngho happily submits.

Neither of them wants to sleep on separate beds anymore but Taeyong decides that it’s too much trouble to join their beds together at 2 am. They end up crammed together on Youngho’s single bed while his plushies get relocated to Taeyong’s bed. Taeyong is wearing one of Youngho’s sleep tees. He had just helped himself to one without asking and Youngho finds it incredibly sexy that he’s done that. The shirt fits Taeyong in the shoulders, just as Youngho had known it would, but every other part of the shirt is too big for him. It hangs down to mid-thigh and he loves how small Taeyong looks in it (he also tries not to think about whether Taeyong has anything on under the shirt because he’s having enough trouble with his semi as it is he doesn’t need any more trouble). Youngho isn’t wearing a shirt himself. All he’s got on is a pair of boxers. It’s always just nice under the covers when he’s in a t-shirt and pajama pants; he’s going to have another body under the covers with him tonight so his usual sleep gear seems like overkill.

They climb into bed more or less at the same time and they lie on their sides facing each other. Youngho can’t even count the number of times he’s fantasized about them lying in bed together like this, their faces almost touching.

“Hey,” Taeyong says in an almost-whisper, his fingertips caressing Youngho’s cheek.

“Hey,” Youngho smiles as he cups Taeyong’s jaw and kisses him. It had been hard enough in the forest keeping his instincts at bay but now that there’s nothing separating them but one very thin cotton tee and one pair of very thin cotton boxers (that he knows of), Youngho knows he’s pretty much doomed.

Taeyong moves closer, his mouth pressing soft kisses along Youngho’s collarbone. “Thank you.”     

“For what?”

“For letting me stay when Jaehyun asked. For not asking me to leave even if my staying might bring a lot of shit to your door.”

“I like how you make it sound like I have a choice in the matter,” Youngho chuckles.

Taeyong’s eyes turn serious. “You always have a choice.”

“Not with you, Taeyong. There’s no choice when it’s you. You’ve ruined me for other roommates. No one else will do.” Youngho traces the pretty moles on Taeyong’s bottom lip with the tip of his index finger. The ones that have mesmerized him since the day Taeyong moved in.  

“You say that now,” Taeyong pouts.

“Always.” Then he kisses Taeyong and the kiss is tender and sincere and soul-searing all at the same time. It’s the most natural thing in the world when Taeyong’s tongue glides over his, when Taeyong’s hands move over his back and pull him in, when Taeyong’s mouth leaves a trail of kisses across his overheated skin, when Taeyong’s teeth nip at his earlobe. Youngho moans as his body gets bombarded with sensation after sensation. It’s impossible to hold back a gasp as Taeyong’s erection pushes against his stomach.

“Taeyong, what are you doing?” Youngho asks stupidly.

“Making out,” Taeyong moans against the skin at the base of his neck. When he bites down on Youngho’s skin, a wave of need ripples through his body and he has to smother a loud moan as his cock twitches and tightens with desire.

“This feels a bit more intense than making out. Shouldn’t we slow things down?” Youngho asks even as he chants _please don’t stop please don’t stop_ in his head. Taeyong’s only answer is to thrust his hips forward so his clothed erection grinds against his own. That’s all the encouragement Youngho needs as he grips Taeyong’s hips and thrusts back. He takes one t-shirt covered nipple in his mouth, sucking on it while Taeyong writhes in pleasure. His hands slide over the bare skin of Taeyong’s back and Youngho can’t help groaning when his hands encounter the curve of Taeyong’s bare ass. Youngho is so turned on by the knowledge that Taeyong has been completely naked under his t-shirt this whole time that he almost comes right then and there.  

“We don’t need this,” Taeyong mutters huskily as he drags Youngho’s boxers down his hips and legs impatiently. They both moan when their bare cocks finally come into contact. Then they exchange desperate hungry kisses as their hips collide and their cocks touch. Youngho has dreamt about taking his time to explore Taeyong’s body the first time they have sex but they’re both so dizzy with want that Youngho knows that fantasy will have to wait.

“I want you,” Taeyong says, his eyes wild with passion as he lies back and stares up at Youngho. “I want you inside me,” he begs and Youngho can see that Taeyong is ready, oh so ready for him. Taking a deep breath, Youngho aligns his hips over Taeyong’s and positions his cock so it’s nudging at Taeyong’s slick entrance.

“Hurry,” Taeyong moans and Youngho thrusts inside him in one long, smooth motion. It’s good, so good to be inside him, Youngho thinks, as they move in unison, hips slamming together as Youngho drives into him relentlessly. Their movements get sloppier as they get closer and closer to the edge of ecstasy. Youngho’s desire soon reaches fever pitch and he thrusts inside Taeyong one, two, three more times before moaning Taeyong’s name and coming inside him. Seconds later, Taeyong hums _oh god oh god_ before coming all over his stomach. Panting from exertion, Youngho collapses onto Taeyong. Their limbs sprawled messily over each other, they exchange a few lazy kisses in between trying to catch their breath.

“Making out, huh?” Youngho teases as he brushes Taeyong’s hair out of his eyes.

“I’ll call it what I want,” Taeyong says, looking blissed out and happier than Youngho has ever seen him.

Reluctantly, Youngho rolls off him. “We should probably clean up or something.”

“Later. In the morning, whenever,” Taeyong mumbles sleepily.

“But you can’t stand mess.”

“I’m too fucking tired to move. I’ll live this once.”

“Fine,” Youngho concedes. He’s too sleepy to move himself other than to gather Taeyong in his arms as they try their best not to fall off the bed with how narrow it is. Taeyong’s already asleep by the time Youngho reaches over him to turn off the bedside lamp. Taeyong always falls asleep so easily around him that he’d laughed the first time Taeyong had told him he used to suffer from insomnia. He strokes Taeyong’s hair and snuggles closer to him, his heart bursting with all the emotion flooding him right now. For weeks he’s been so scared that Taeyong will have to leave one day. For weeks he’s been scared there will be no more falling asleep with Taeyong, no more hanging out with Taeyong, no more talking to Taeyong about random shit, no more doing anything with Taeyong. Fuck, he’s still scared that some bad shit will happen. But at least Taeyong won’t be leaving anymore. They’ll try their best to make sure he never has to. No matter what.

He’ll have to call Doyoung in the morning and tell him that his roomie won’t be moving out at any time in the conceivable future. Youngho knows there will be multiple explosions as Doyoung rants about what a Very Bad Idea this is. He’ll rant and rant for a Very Long Time but at the end of the day, Youngho is the closest friend Doyoung has, and the dearest. So he’ll accept Youngho’s decision even if he thinks Youngho is a Huge Dumbass for making it. And Doyoung will be right too. Being with Taeyong definitely isn’t the wisest thing he could be doing but being without him isn’t an option Youngho can even consider.

He doesn’t know how all this is going to impact on the already chilly relations between Twin Oaks and Cedar Falls. He doesn’t know if Taeyong turning his back on his father will lead to a pack war. He doesn’t know but he’s too tired now to think about crises that haven’t happened. So he just snuggles closer to the sleeping wolf in his arms, and inhales the scent of his hair and his smooth, warm skin. He buries his face in Taeyong’s back and spoons him, his arm looped around Taeyong’s waist and their legs entwined. They’ll deal with all the what-ifs in the morning. For now, Youngho is just so glad they’re home. So fucking glad.

  
  
  


  


  
  



	2. Chapter 2

  


It’s warm. So deliciously warm. Taeyong’s never felt this safe or this comfortable in bed before. The last, lingering tendrils of sleep fog drift away, and Taeyong realizes at last that he’s not alone. Youngho’s arm is draped loosely across his waist, his long, muscled thigh straddling his own, much slimmer one. In a flash, the previous night’s lovemaking comes back to him and Taeyong’s cheeks flush hot at the memory of how shameless he’d been. He’d been swept away by the moment, swept away by too much pent up want and oh God, what must Youngho think of him now?

“You’re awake.” It’s the same mellow voice from four weeks ago, saying the exact same words from that first morning Taeyong had woken up in this very apartment. Except, it’s not a strange apartment anymore—hasn’t been for a long while. It’s home. And Youngho...Youngho is his home.

“Hi,” Taeyong says, too shy to turn around and look at Youngho. He’s still so embarrassed by last night’s wanton behavior that he’s going to need every extra second he can steal to compose himself. “How long have you been up?” he asks at last and he closes his eyes when Youngho kisses the top of his head. It’s a light, gentle touch but it makes Taeyong feel so much. Maybe too much.

“About an hour, maybe?” Youngho answers as his fingertips glide over the angular planes of Taeyong’s hip. It’s making Taeyong feel all kinds of aroused, as if his morning wood isn’t enough of a pressing issue as it is.

“Why didn’t you get up? You must be hungry,” Taeyong says, determined to keep his thoughts off his growing erection.

“I didn’t want to leave. It’s not every morning you wake up with your crush in your arms,” Youngho answers and Taeyong may not be able to see it, but he can hear the smile in Youngho’s voice and imagine the grin on his lips as he says this unbelievably cheesy thing. What’s even more unbelievable is that his cheeks are flaming from being described as Youngho’s crush. It’s simply...unacceptable.  

“Don’t be gross,” Taeyong grumbles but when Youngho’s palm slides over the back of his hand and envelops it, Taeyong returns his touch. It’s still so surreal that they’re holding hands and touching and lying naked in a bed together after doing the platonic roommate thing for four weeks.  

“I’m a cheeseball. Get used to it,” Youngho laughs, the sound vibrating against Taeyong’s back in a pleasant way. And then Youngho’s warm mouth is on his nape and there’s nothing pleasant about the sensations cascading down his cock.

“What are you doing?” Taeyong whispers, barely able to get the words out as he struggles to maintain control of his body’s reactions to the much larger male body curled around him.  

“Making out. That’s what you call this, right?” Youngho says reasonably and Taeyong doesn’t have to see the man’s face to know he’s smirking.

“We need to clean up. We never cleaned up last night,” Taeyong argues but they both know it’s a feeble protest at best. When the length of Youngho’s boner presses against the base of his spine, Taeyong’s walls immediately start moistening with slick. His body responds to Youngho’s in a way it has never responded to any other male’s.

Taeyong has been with a handful of males over the past five years, all alphas except for one other beta, but he’s never ever been this turned on by anyone. Maybe it’s because feelings were never involved in those past encounters; he barely even remembers their faces let alone their bodies. They were all about scratching an itch, about fulfilling a physiological need.

He’s known since he turned thirteen that his father would be the one to pick out a suitably wealthy groom and barter him off. A large parcel of pack land in exchange for a healthy, fertile omega—that was the life that had been charted out for him by Lee Sooman. There had never been any point in getting emotionally attached to anyone he might have picked out for himself. God knows he’d never planned on getting attached to Youngho. All those emotions had just crept up on him and fucking happened. He can only pray that all this doesn’t lead to a clash between Cedar Falls and Twin Oaks. He’s anxious and guilty but at the same time, he won’t give Youngho up for anyone—not his father, not the polite stranger Ten, not even Joohyun noona and his umma.

“What’s the point of cleaning up if we’re just going to dirty ourselves again? Hmm?” Youngho murmurs against his bare shoulder blade, completely oblivious to the tempest brewing in Taeyong’s head.

“Who says we’re going to dirty ourselves again so soon?” Taeyong retorts and yelps as strong arms turn his body around. He soon finds himself staring straight into Youngho’s eyes—eyes that are dark with some subtle combination of desire and fondness. His hair is rumpled in a way Taeyong has never seen. His bangs are falling softly over his forehead and poking at his thick eyelashes. And Taeyong can’t resist touching the tiny mole on the crease of his laugh line, can’t resist dragging his fingertip over the voluptuous curve of his bottom lip. His mouth is so fucking pretty and Taeyong wants nothing more than to lick his way inside it and pull that bottom lip between his teeth and bite it.

Youngho doesn’t say a word. He just lets Taeyong explore his face the way he wants. It’s the first time Taeyong has had a chance to really _look_ at Youngho without having to turn away and pretend to be looking at someone or something else. But Taeyong doesn’t have to pretend today and he stares at Youngho without shame. He looks so incredibly sexy and soft and endearing all at the same time. Taeyong can’t bear to think about not waking up to this every morning. Is it because they’ve run together as wolves? Is it because they’ve had sex? Taeyong can’t decide if it’s one or the other or both. All he knows is that the thought of waking up without Youngho by his side creates a visceral ache, deep in his chest.  

“You’re thinking so hard I can hear the gears turning,” Youngho frowns slightly as he pushes a few strands of hair out of Taeyong’s eyes. His fingertips brush against his skin and the touches are so light, so gentle but they leave a lasting imprint on his soul. “Are you ok, Taeyong? Are you regretting this? Regretting us?” Youngho’s voice is calm but Taeyong wonders how calm he actually is.

His fingertips trace the line of Youngho’s jaw. “I could never regret you, Suh Youngho.” Then he leans forward and their lips meet in a soft kiss. Youngho tastes sweet, tastes of sunshine and rainbows and all the bright tomorrows. And for a while, Taeyong lets himself forget about his father and the pack and he even forgets about last night’s dried jizz as he loses himself in Youngho’s arms, loses himself in his tender kisses. His body stretches out in need as Youngho’s large, strong hands play with his nipples and glide over his flanks and cup his ass. This morning’s lovemaking is slow and sensual, not fevered and hurried like the previous night’s. It feels almost like Youngho is learning every dip and curve of his body while Taeyong writhes and moans under his slow, lingering touch.  When Youngho finally thrusts inside him, Taeyong lets out a low moan. His legs wrap around Youngho’s lean flanks and he raises his hips, rocking up into Youngho’s smooth, leisurely thrusts.

“Let’s just...take it slow for now,” Youngho says as his long, narrow body moves gracefully over Taeyong’s. Nodding, he closes his eyes as he lets the pleasure overtake him, whining as Youngho’s sweet, hard length fills him again and again. Their bodies move as one and Youngho’s mouth leaves kisses and hickeys all over Taeyong’s pale, pale skin. Youngho’s thrusts are slow and measured as he guides Taeyong’s hand over his own cock. “Touch yourself,” he whispers, watching as Taeyong grips himself and starts jerking off. Taeyong has pleasured himself countless times but he’s never done it with someone watching and it’s so fucking arousing he can barely breathe. He can feel the heat and weight of Youngho’s gaze as he tugs on his cock, his thumb grazing the head of it from time to time. Knowing that Youngho is watching as he touches himself makes everything feel twice as intense. Taeyong can’t hold back the moans as the sensations build up and he finds himself hurtling closer and closer to his climax.

“Come for me,” Youngho commands in a low, husky voice and it’s too much for Taeyong.  His nipples and stomach muscles clench as he shoots his load. Youngho picks up the pace and begins thrusting faster and faster, grinding his cock into Taeyong’s dripping hole with increasing force.  Youngho is close, so close and all it takes is a few more urgent thrusts before he lets out a thick groan and comes.

  
  
  
  
  


Youngho mops up the mess with tissues before collapsing on Taeyong, his long limbs and body drained of energy. Taeyong should resent the weight pressing down on him but instead, his body welcomes it, welcomes the sensation of Youngho’s sweat slick skin against his own and the possessive press of his body.

“Lucky we didn’t get showered like we wanted. I told you we were going to dirty ourselves,” Youngho chuckles as he hovers over Taeyong, his dimple appearing for a fleeting moment.     

“Shut up!” Taeyong gives Youngho a fierce glare but his heart is soft, so soft for Youngho right now. Taeyong isn’t sure he ever wants Youngho to know how soft.

“I wonder if every new day will start out this way?” Youngho asks in a teasing tone just before he kisses Taeyong. His tongue teases the entrance of his mouth before sweeping right in. When the kiss ends, Youngho starts grinning.  

“Why are you grinning? What’s so funny?”

“I was just thinking, I’m so glad wolves don’t get morning breath,” Youngho says, grinning even more.

Taeyong feigns outrage. “Are you saying you wouldn’t have kissed me if I had morning breath?”

“Of course I would have still kissed you, Lee Taeyong,” Youngho insists as he slides his thumb over Taeyong’s bottom lip, “but maybe I wouldn’t have kissed you so long or used so much tongue.”

“You’re a brat!” Taeyong smacks his shoulder really hard and Youngho just laughs as he moves in to steal a few more kisses.

“We should probably shower,” Youngho suggests.

“My skin is itching but I’m too tired to move.”

“I could swear we’ve had this conversation before,” Youngho laughs.

“I’m so sleepy,” Taeyong complains.

“You can sleep _after_ we shower.”

“My legs are too wobbly.”

“Okay,” Youngho says with a mischievous smile. And the next thing Taeyong knows, he’s being cradled in Youngho’s arms as he carries him to their tiny bathroom. They end up taking a long hot shower together, washing each other’s hair and soaping each other’s bodies until they get hard and jerk each other off under the hot spray of the shower.

  
  
  
  


Youngho knows he can’t put it off anymore. He owes it to Doyoung to be honest about how his relationship with Taeyong has changed overnight. He’s never liked confrontations so he winces slightly as he searches for his best friend’s number.

“Hyung?” Doyoung always sounds a touch anxious when he answers a call. They usually communicate via text, only calling when it’s something urgent.

“Doyoung, can we talk?”

There’s a muted clacking of keys as Doyoung types something really quickly on his desktop. It’s a Sunday morning so there’s a high chance he’s playing Overwatch or DotA or whatever the hell game he’s currently into.

“Okay, we can talk now. Why didn’t you just text? Is something wrong?”

“It’s complicated.”

“What the hell did you do?!” Doyoung asks exasperatedly. “Don’t tell me that Cedar Falls wolf is still living with you? I swear to God, Suh Youngho! I gave you the names and numbers  of three people who would’ve been happy to move in to your apartment right away. You’d better have called at least one of them.”

“Technically, no?”

“What do you mean technically no?!”

“I didn’t call any of them because I didn’t want a new roommate?”

“Which part of our packs are sworn enemies, you don’t understand, hyung?”

“This is where things get more complicated—”

Never one to mince his words, Doyoung yelled, “WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?”

“Taeyong and I…we’re kinda sorta dating?”

“You’re kinda sorta WHAT?!” Doyoung sounds like he’s about to rupture a blood vessel and Youngho really hopes he doesn’t because it’s a hell of a drive out to Doyoung’s place if he has to take the guy to a hospital.

“We’re together and that’s not going to change no matter how loud you get, Kim Doyoung,” Youngho says, keeping his voice even.

“You know the Pack Elders are gonna go apeshit. You know this, hyung, so why would you do something so stupid reckless?! I can’t believe you!” Doyoung is definitely shouting now and Youngho sighs.

“It’s not like I planned to do it, ok? It just…happened. And Taeyong’s pack is a lot more extreme about this sworn enemies shit than ours.”

“You get exiled from the pack if you get into any kind of relationship with a Twin Oaks wolf. I know at least that much.”

“So Taeyong is telling his father today that he’s living with me and the old man is bound by pack law to exile him.”

“Lee Sooman does what he wants. He needs his son to marry Chittaphon of Lake Aspen Pack so he can get his hands on a whole lot of extra pack land. You think he’s just gonna roll over and let you have his son? Please, hyung, you’re being too naive if you think that’s going to happen.”

“I know, believe me I know. But I can’t walk away from this, Doyoungie,” Youngho says, feeling more than a little dejected. Doyoung has been against the whole idea of Taeyong being anywhere near Youngho from the get-go but he’d still hoped for more support from his friend when he finally came clean.

“You know they might send a whole bunch of wolves to your front door right? They’ll take your roommate, boyfriend, whatever he is, by force. You know that right? And that’s like the best case scenario. They could also beat the shit out of you and leave you for dead. They could also destroy your apartment and everything you own. I've never actually heard anything about your boyfriend’s dad having anyone assaulted but no one's ever been stupid enough to try and take his son away from him before this. He's gonna go ballistic. I think that's a given. You do not want to stick around and find out how bad shit could get.” Youngho wishes Doyoung wasn’t so good at coming up with worst case scenarios but he also knows that every single one his friend has painted is a plausible one.

“I know. I know all of this might happen but it’s too late. I can’t give him up.”

“Oh, hyung,” Doyoung says sadly. “What have you done?”

“Throwing him out isn’t an option for me,” he says. “Anything but that.”

“Is there someone in the city who can give you shelter? Like right away? Tell your boyfriend he can’t tell his father jackshit till you guys have some kind of escape plan.”

“He wasn’t planning to call till this afternoon. I can stall him.”

“Does his father know where your apartment is?”

“Taeyong has never told him any of the places he’s lived in Chicago. He just goes back to Cedar Falls when he’s summoned. But he thinks his father has probably had him followed, enough to figure out the different places he’s lived the past few years, anyway. That’s why Taeyong has made it a point to room with humans all these years. They’re not bound by pack law to tell wolves anything. He’s not sure his father knows he’s moved again recently but the chances he doesn’t know are pretty slim.”

“Wow, you guys are so fucked. I cannot believe you.”

“If it’s my fate to be fucked, that’s just how it’s gonna be. Being without Taeyong isn’t on the table.”

“Even if his father doesn’t know where Taeyong lives, I’m sure he knows where he works. So he could always have him followed back to where he’s living. You’re fucked either way. Jesus, hyung.” Doyoung makes a loud noise of frustration. If they’d been next to each other right now, he would probably have given Youngho a well-aimed kick or a punch to the shoulder.

“We know we’re fucked. But this is it. This is us.”

“So what are you gonna do? How do we fix this?”

“I’ve got some savings. The insurance payout from when Umma and Appa had the accident. I haven’t touched a cent of that and I wasn’t going to for years but if we have to go into hiding, we’re both going to have to quit our jobs I guess. Move to a new city. Find new jobs.” And it finally hits Youngho, the enormity of the decision they’ve made, and how their lives are about to be turned upside-down because of Taeyong’s tyrannical father.  Chicago’s been his home for almost a decade. It’s going to be rough getting used to a new city.

“What about Kun?” Doyoung asks, sounding thoughtful.

“What about Kun?” Youngho bites his bottom lip, bewildered. Where is Doyoung going with this? Because KIm Doyoung does not do random questions. There’s always a goal in mind. The thing is what goal is he working towards right now?

“You guys still tight?”

Youngho thinks about the last time he’d seen Qian Kun. It had been about three weeks back. They’d met for lunch on a work day. They didn’t meet up too often but they touched base via kkt at least a couple times a week. Tight enough. “Sure.”

“Doesn’t he have a huge ass house in the outskirts of Chicago?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Isn’t he always complaining that he hates how empty it is and he wishes his dad had just let him get an apartment in the city like he wanted?”

“What are you trying to say, Doyoungie? That I should beg Kun to take us in? Because that’s what it is, begging.”

“It’s not begging? You guys need a place to say and he wants some roommates…he just doesn’t know it yet,” Doyoung says with a slightly distracted air and after two decades of friendship, Youngho knows Doyoung is already hatching a plan. Youngho often gets too tied up in sentiment but Doyoung has always been ruthlessly pragmatic.  He just does what needs to be done to salvage a situation, no matter how much he has to impose on someone to get it done. The greater good and all that. Heaven knows he’d gotten Youngho out of enough scrapes when they were growing up in Twin Oaks. To the point that Youngho has often wondered if he should be the one calling Doyoung hyung instead of the other way round.   

“I’m not going to call Kun and ask if we can crash at his place.”

“You won’t have to because I’ll do it on your behalf.”

“Doyoung, no,” Youngho says with a warning tone.

“What are you gonna do? Live on the street? I’d offer you my place but it’s the first place they’d look once they’d done some digging around. Most people don’t know you and Kun still stay in touch so he’s not an immediate target for a search and seize. Plus it’s a walled property with cameras and perimeter alarms. His dad is like crazy paranoid but you know, i kinda wanna kiss the old guy because it makes Kun’s place the perfect hideout for you and your roomie, boyfriend, whatever.”

Youngho sighs in resignation. “His name is Taeyong and I would like you guys to meet one day, preferably without either of you pissing all over the  other.”

“Oh, is Taeyong the territorial type?” Doyoung asks, sounding far too intrigued for Youngho’s comfort.

“If he is, I’ve never seen it? But I mean, we’ve only been boyfriends for less than a day so I might have to get back to you on that,” Youngho says and Doyoung snorts.

“I would just as soon never find out how territorial your boyfriend is. You can tell him I’ve never had the remotest interest in your ass. Anyway, I’m going to call Kun now and let him know he needs new roommates for that big, empty house of his.”

“That’s not fair to Kun! None of this has anything to do with him.  I don’t want him getting into any trouble with his uncle over me,” Youngho argues unhappily.

“Of course it has something to do with him. You’re his friend. You’ve been his friend since we were all in grade school. If you get your ass killed because you didn’t want to ask him for help, he’d never forgive himself. Be reasonable, hyung. We need to take the safest route and as far as I can tell, the safest route leads to Kun’s place. You and Taeyong need to pack as many essentials as you can and leave for Kun’s—only what you can fit into a backpack each. You don’t want to draw any attention to yourselves. Don’t drive. Take the train to Jefferson, that’s the closest stop to Kun’s place. From there, take a bus and then walk the rest of the way. Don’t use any credit cards because you don’t want to lead them right to Kun’s door.”

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Youngho gathers the hair off his forehead in apprehension. “Do we really have to move today? That’s so soon. Like, there’s so much to do and I just think it’s a lot to get done—”

“Do you really want to wait and find out what Lee Soo Man could do to you for stealing his precious son from right under his nose? This isn’t just about Taeyong. There are pack lands at stake. Just go pack, hyung. And tell your boyfriend to hold off on calling his father for as long as he can. You’ll need some burner phones too at some point. But I’ll let Kun take care of that. He’s the tech guy after all. Just go pack. I’m serious. You guys need to leave real soon.”

Doyoung runs through the list of things one more time and warns Youngho to make sure he gets it all done. Then he ends the call. Youngho lets out a long rush of breath. How had things come to this? Taeyong and him haven’t even had time to enjoy being with each other. Like, just doing the simple roommate things together. Cooking a meal together. Washing the dishes together. Roommate things they’ve been doing together for weeks but which will be different somehow now that they’re not just roommates anymore. Taeyong napping on his lap while he watches a wildlife documentary. Falling asleep and waking up in each other’s arms. Youngho had really been looking forward to all these little routine things but now he has to forget all of those things and put them on hold. For now, he and Taeyong have to focus on getting themselves out of here safely. Youngho thinks about leaving this place and all the memories tied to it and he allows himself a few seconds to just be sad. Then he pushes every heartbreaking thought out of his heart and mind. This apartment is only a place. Bricks and mortar. Taeyong is his home now.

  
  
  
  


Taeyong had known that they would have to leave eventually, but he hadn’t expected things to escalate this badly. He’d stupidly hoped for at least a few days of domestic bliss with Youngho but he knows Youngho’s friend Doyoung is right. The faster they move, the safer they’ll be from Father’s clutches. Father had sent him another three or four messages after the one he’d sent Taeyong the night before. Taeyong had left them all unread.

He’s trying to figure out how to explain the situation to his sister when his phone rings. Ironically, it’s Joohyun and of course he still hasn’t figured out what to say.

“Why aren’t you answering your messages, Taeyongie? Father’s been on my case all morning to find out _what that damned boy is up to_ and Umma is worried.”

“Just tell him I’ve got a super important work deadline and I don’t have time to talk, noona. You can tell him that, can’t you? Tell him I’ll call him in a couple of days.”

Predictably, Joohyun hadn’t bought the lame excuse. Not even for half a second. “The truth, Taeyongie.” Her voice isn’t loud but it’s got a thread of steel running through it. Joohyun has never had to do much to make Taeyong submit to the true alpha that she is. And he’s always respected and idol worshipped her too much to resent it.

“I bumped into Chittaphon last night and I was with someone.”

“Someone? Who? And why haven’t you told me about him?”

“There was nothing to tell, noona. Not before. I mean, he’s been my roommate for the past month. Jaehyun’s friend.”

“Wait, the Twin Oaks wolf? Something’s happened between the two of you? You’re not just roommates anymore?” Joohyun asks sharply.

“Not exactly, no. But we were still just roommates when Chittaphon saw us at this Thai restaurant. He checked Youngho out and I guess he sensed something because he said he had to make a visit to Cedar Falls soon. And he hinted that we needed to talk about the betrothal.”  

“Shit. Did he threaten Youngho?” There’s genuine concern in Joohyun’s voice. Maybe they’re in even deeper shit than he realized.

“No. You know Chittaphon is always civil. He’s always so civil it’s kinda fucking scary. Like I’ve never seen him show any emotion.”

“You know you’ve just described yourself, right?” Joohyun laughs. “You don’t really let people know what you’re thinking and feeling either—unless you really trust them. We’re both that way. I blame Father for this.” There’s a bitter twist to her words and Taeyong can’t help but agree that it was Father’s fault that they’d both grown up so cagey and emotionally unavailable. How does Umma put up with all of them, to be honest. The woman is a living saint.

“I wish he would just...I don’t know, let us live our lives and let us be with someone we choose for ourselves. It’s not much to ask, is it?”

“It’s not, little brother. We’ll make it so. Somehow. We’ll make it so we’re the ones who get to choose, not him.” Joohyun’s words burn with determination and Taeyong wants so much to believe her.

“But for the meantime, I need to disappear. For a while, at least. I’ve already put Youngho in danger. We need to go someplace Father won’t be able to locate.”

“Do you a safe haven already?”

“Apparently. But I won’t tell you where. Safer for you that way.”

“Email me to let me know you’re okay. Make a new account so Father can’t trace you.”

“I will.”

“You know I love you, kid. Be safe,” Joohyun says softly.

“I love you too, noona. Tell Umma I love her and that I’ll email her soon.”

“I hope you’re sure about this wolf. You’re throwing away a lot for him, Taeyongie,” Joohyun says, sounding more than a little wistful.

“Have you thought about it? Have you thought about telling Father that he can forget about getting his hands on any Willow Falls pack land because you’re not marrying Choi Minho?”

“Of course, I have. I want nothing more than to tell him to fuck off. But Seulgi doesn’t want our family to get all messed up because of her. She’s a better person than me. She always has been,” Joohyun says, her voice tight. “Don’t worry, baby brother. I’m not marrying Choi Minho. I just haven’t figured the best way to break it to the old man.” Her laugh is hollow and bitter and makes Taeyong feel incredibly sad. Fingers of melancholy wrap themselves around his heart as they end the call and it hits him that he won’t be able to see his sister and mother for a while because his father would probably have them followed. His shoulders tense and his fists clench at his sides. Why does his old man have to be such a selfish tyrant? Why can’t he just let his wife and children do what makes them happy? _Have you ever even once loved me? Even for a minute? Or have I always been just a pawn in this stupid chess game you’re playing?_ Just as his thoughts are about to spiral, Youngho’s scent curls around him, making his tight muscles uncoil and the band around his chest loosen its grip. His wolf settles down too as he scents Youngho and his wolf nearby.

“Taeyong?” Youngho’s voice radiates concern as his arms slide around Taeyong’s waist and his right palm rests on Taeyong’s stomach. It’s so good to have him here. Youngho is so real and so normal and so much a part of his everyday life now that he’s like an anchor.  Youngho keeps him here in the now when his fears and anxieties would have taken him to some dark place. Sighing with relief, Taeyong leans back into Youngho’s solidity, his warmth and his strength. “Was that your father? Are you ok?” Youngho’s hands wrap around his, sheltering them.

“No, not my father. I know I’m not supposed to call him yet. That was noona. She wanted to know what was going on. She’ll keep him off our backs for as long as she can.”

“I’m so glad you’ve got her looking out for you.” Youngho says, his voice soothing as his thumb strokes the back of Taeyong’s hand. “I don’t want to rush you but have you finished packing?”

“I—yeah, I guess I’m done.”

“You know, it’s silly but I was really looking forward to just hanging out with you today. Just dumb things like seeing you walk around the apartment in one of my shirts, reading in bed together, having you fall asleep on my lap while I watch _Animal Planet_ , just being able to hold your hand and hug you any time I feel like it. Just, you know, silly boyfriend things.” Youngho gives a self-deprecating laugh before saying, “You must think I’m the biggest cheeseball this side of Chicago.”

Taeyong turns in Youngho’s arms. “You _are_ the biggest cheeseball this side of Chicago, Suh Youngho. But you’re _my_ cheeseball. I’m not real good with words but I wouldn’t give you up for anything. You know, I really wanted to do all those silly boyfriend things too. I guess after four weeks of living with you, the cheese is catching.” Taeyong pouts and Youngho laughs. It’s a soft, rich sound that makes Taeyong’s insides melt. It’s just another one of those surprising things about Youngho, that someone as tall and large as him would have such a precious little laugh. It’s fast become one of Taeyong’s favorite sounds in the whole world—not that he’ll ever admit it to Youngho. He’s already got too much ammunition against Taeyong, he doesn’t need more. For the  same reason, Taeyong is never telling Youngho that he lives to see the dimple that appears in his left cheek when he laughs.

“I’ve shut all the windows and disconnected everything except the refrigerator. Thank God we ran out of milk and eggs and meat yesterday. I bagged everything else and threw it out. Oh, and I turned off the gas. So, I guess this is it. Doyoung will help us sort things out with the landlord and have our things packed up and put in storage. We’re good to go.”

“I can’t believe this is all happening so fast. I’m really sorry you’re giving up your home and your job because of me,” Taeyong says, his words laced with sincere regret. “I should just have left here four weeks ago when we found out which packs we belonged to.”

Youngho draws him into his arms. “Shhh. Don’t say that. I wouldn’t have let you leave anyway. The moment I saw you standing in that corridor, I chose you. And my wolf chose you in that same moment so we’re in this together. No regrets.”  

Taeyong lets himself relax for just a while in Youngho’s arms. For just a few seconds he can pretend that their lives aren’t about to go through a blender. Youngho’s chest is hard beneath his cheek, and his palm is soothing as he strokes Taeyong’s back.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I don’t deal real well with change,” he says in a small, tight voice.

“I have noticed but we’ll be okay, Taeyong. We’ll get through this and I think you’ll really like Kun. Everybody likes Kun.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I know I am.” Youngho kisses him one last time before taking his hand and telling him it’s time to go.

  
  
  
  


The front gate is an impenetrable, seven-foot high structure blocking their path, and the perimeter fencing is just as forbidding with its yards and yards of similar, imposing wood and steel. The property is so huge Taeyong can’t even see how far the fence extends. It’s daunting to say the least and Taeyong’s stomach is a roiling sea of acid right now. Plus, his wolf is wary. Very, very wary. Not even Youngho’s proximity is helping.

Just what kind of prison facility are they moving into? Just what kind of person is this Kun? If he’s anything like the the gate and fence and the fortress beyond, living with him is going to give Taeyong a stomach ulcer for sure. He grips Youngho’s hand tightly, feeding off his calm strength.

“Well, this is it.” Youngho gives him a reassuring smile before pressing the buzzer. “Hey Kun, it’s me.”  

Taeyong thinks he hears a male voice saying _ok, ok_ and then there’s a loud rumbling as the gate starts moving towards the left.

“Let’s go,” Youngho says, squeezing his hand as they walk through the gap together.   

  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, I wasn't expecting to be able to update this fic so soon because real life has been hella stressful. But I love johnyong so I busted my ass writing this and here you have it, 5.8k of ... whatever this is. I'm still super not confident about writing nct or writing wolf or abo because well, first time with all three. So if you are somehow enjoying this story and want me to write more of it, I hope you'll let me know what you think of the story so far and Idk, leave a kudo? Ask a friend to read it? Just, idk, give me a sign that I'm not messing this up completely otl. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks so much for for reading and come talk to me on [twitter](http://www.twitter.com/glitterlatte) or [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/lotusk)

**Author's Note:**

> If you guys made it all the way through this long ass fic, thank you from the bottom of my heart! If you liked the story, I hope you'll leave a kudo and comment because writers are fragile souls that need constant encouragement xoxo
> 
> I’ve decided to write more about what happens with Taeyong's family and Lucas, and of course Johnyong so I hope you guys will subscribe to find out what happens next. I am, however, super busy with real life so it may be a while before I can update this. Meanwhile, come yell at me on [twitter](http://www.twitter.com/glitterlatte) or [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/lotusk).


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